Gotham Knights
by Hailey Burns
Summary: Meet Alex Gordon. She's Gordon's daughter, and in the GCPD. Follow her througout the Dark Knight and Batman Begins. Sorry it's a crappy summary.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, now before you get on my case about Gordon's daughter being Barbara, I know that. I want reviews for this. It took a long time for me to write this. I will hopefully keep it up. And since it's Christmas, here's a Christmas chapter. **

Christmas time had come around Gotham once again. Songs on the radio were sung about joy and holiday cheer. My word, I was so tired of Christmas songs. I wanted to take my dad's gun and shoot holes in the radio. Maybe that would get it to shut up. I laughed to myself as the thought crossed my mind again. I wasn't really fond of Christmas, obviously, and it was so hard to get into spirit in this crime filled city. It seemed as if you always heard sirens as the police went to a new crime. It was insane, but my dad saw hope for it. I believed him. He was all I had, really. I grabbed my coat and shut off my car and walked inside our apartment building.

Warmth embraced me as rode the elevator up to our apartment. Thoughts of my Christmas eight years ago flooded my head.

_It was a few days before Christmas as I decorated the house. I heard the door close and cold air dashed across my bare feet. I shivered and continued to put up the ornaments on our tree. I heard Dad stomp his feet free of the snow and begin talking to Mom._

"_Jen, we need to tell Alex." _

"_I know, Jim, but it's Christmas," she reasoned. "She should have a happy one."_

_Dad knew that she was right, but he persisted. "Yeah, I get that, but the doctor said that you wouldn't make it past March. She needs to know. I don't want you to die, and her have no idea why. That's not fair for her."_

_Mom was silent. I decided that I should stop listening since they were obviously going to come into the room. _

My mind fast-forwarded to a week later, when I found out what Mom was dying of.

_I had finally had enough. I needed to know what was going on with Mom. She was gone to another appointment to the doctors' office. Dad was here watching me, so I decided to ask him. I hopped up onto the couch next to him. He looked at me with tired and sad eyes. I knew that whatever it was, it was bad. _The answers are in the eyes_: it was an old cop trick that Dad had taught me last year. I suddenly lost all courage to ask him. He just looked so sad, so destroyed. _

_He smiled at me. "Whatdya need, Sweetie?" That was the first time he called me that in a while. He always called me Alex or Al. I knew that Mom was not doing well._

"_Daddy," I asked shyly, "what's wrong with Mom?"_

_He was silent. His eyes got kinda sparkly. I knew that it was tears. "Sweetie, your mom has cancer." He started crying. Then, I started crying and we hugged each other for support._

_Just like the doctors said, my mom died of cancer a few weeks later._

Now, I was sixteen and a junior at Gotham High, along with Bruce Wayne. It was rather awesome, but Rachel Dawes had him. Honestly, I had a crush on him, but it would never happen. Me, a somewhat low class girl, with billionaire him. Not gonna happen. Ever since Mom died, Dad had been struggling to keep us in a house with food on the table. We had to sell our house and get a small apartment. I actually slept on the couch, but I dealt. Still, I felt bad for my dad. I had been planning for over a year to leave and live on my own.

Eventually, the doors of the elevator slid open. I was greeted by absolutely nothing. I laughed at the fact that I actually expected to be greeted by something. I stepped out into the empty hallway and unlocked the door. I heard Christmas music. I was so close to throwing something at the music player. It was beginning to piss me off. I saw Dad cooking in the kitchen.

"You're late." That was all I got.

"You're early. I get home this time everyday." I listened to the music. _Ring-a-ling, Hear them sing. _"Dad, I swear if you don't turn that music off, I will get your gun and shoot it."

He poked his head out of the kitchen and laughed. "Gosh, Scrooge!" He laughed. "I'll turn it off." He walked to the stereo and shut off the dreadful music. "Alex, why do you hate Christmas music?"

I just stared at him blankly. "Why do you think, Dad? Probably the same reason why we don't have a Christmas tree."

"Cuz we don't have money?" I knew that he was kidding, but it felt like a knife through my heart.

"No, cuz Mom died." I sighed and sat down. He walked over and massaged my shoulders. I rolled my neck into his hands as he relieved the tension. I closed my eyes.

"Al, what happened at school? You're not normally this tense." He pretty much massaged my shoulders when I looked like I had a crappy day, which was everyday. It was nice for me, because it really helped.

"All the guys were talking about how annoying their parents were; mostly their moms." I held my head in my hands. I really missed her, and I knew that Dad did too.

A week later, in the middle of the night, I packed my stuff together to leave. I quickly scrawled out a note for my dad. It read:

Dear Dad,

I'm sorry that I'm leaving. This is for the good, Dad, I promise. You've been struggling to keep us afloat. So let me make it easier on you, and leave. I love you, Dad. I don't want you to worry though. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me, ever. It will make it easier. I don't want to go, but I need to. I'm sure the school will be calling as soon as it starts up. I told all the guys that you were transferring me to a boarding school. Just tell them that and there won't be anyone to contradict it.

Daddy, I love you sooooo much. Don't forget that.

Alex

I went into his room and set it on his bedside table. I bent down and kissed his cheek. "I love you so much, Dad. Good bye." I closed the door of the apartment and never looked back.

My name is Alexandra Gordon, and this is my story.

**Wow, that was short. I'm sorry. Hopefully, the next one will be better. Review please. **

**Disclaimer: The only character I own is Alex. I also own anyone who you don't recognize. All of the characters that you do recognize belong to WB and DC Comics. I'm only doing this for fun and to show my appreciation for the movies. I'm not making any money off of this, which is sad because I need some. LOL So please don't sue me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, people like it so far! That's a good thing, and I got two reviews. Counting my blessings. It was really hard to write that last chapter, and I'm sorry that it was short. I hope that this one will be a little longer. **

**Jousting Elf with Saber, nice name! LOL Thank you. I'm glad that you liked it, and here is the next chapter.**

**Babygurl, here ya go!**

**Here it goes.**

Eleven years later, I found myself on the Wayne Enterprises train. I had my duffle bag with me. I slumped in my seat and closed my eyes. The sun warmed me up, even though it was a little chilly outside. From up here in the calm of the train, Gotham seemed like a relatively nice place, but somehow I knew that it wasn't. I still could see sirens going everywhere down of the streets. I suddenly wondered why I was coming back as I began to drift off. The ride went smoothly from what I could tell; I was asleep. After what felt like five seconds, the man next to me shook me awake.

"Hey kid," he said, "we're downtown. You probably wanna get off."

I nodded and held my bag close to my chest as I slid out of the train. From there, I let it hang around me as I made my down to the streets of Gotham. As soon as all the bustling people ran by me, I wished I were back in the warm train. I pulled my jacket closer to me. I looked up at the tower that loomed over the city. Wayne's W shone out in the sun. I could remember my junior homecoming, the only one I bothered going to.

_I had gotten a very gorgeous ball gown, which was very different from typical men's apparel. When Dad saw me in the gown, he just about fainted. I hid a laugh from him, but he noticed it and hugged me anyway. He did the whole "protective dad" speech before letting me go to the school. Just as I closed the door, he opened it again and tossed me my phone. I didn't get it, but he said, "If you need anything, I mean anything, just call me or one of the other cops if I don't answer." I smiled and nodded as I got in the elevator. _

_I got to the school, parked and went inside. I met the guys at the door, and I have to say that I've never seen jaws drop so far. I laughed and continued on inside. We all sat down at one of the tables to enjoy our meal, and I made sure that I could see Bruce Wayne. Gosh, he was handsome that night. He was wearing a full out tux, but of course, Rachel Dawes was wrapped around his arm. I glared at them. Then, one of the guys, Rob, said to the other guys, "Hey look! Alex has a crush!" I don't think that I've blushed any harder. I hit him to knock him back into place._

"_Shut up, Rob!" I was still brighter red than his scarlet tie. They all laughed at me, but thankfully, the moment was forgotten. Still, throughout the night, I stared at Wayne, and one time he caught me and smiled at me. I might mention that Rachel wasn't around then. _

_Time for dancing. Swell! I couldn't dance worth crap! All the guys were out dancing with some random girl, and Rob brought me out on the floor with him. I did one song and murdered it, buried it, dug it up, murdered it again, and then re-buried it! Yes, it was that bad, but he didn't do any better. I could see Wayne laughing out of the corner of my eye. I stood on the sidelines for pretty much the rest of the night. I was pretty embarrassed by that lovely dance. _

_As I leaned against the pole with my legs crossed, I didn't even notice that Wayne had come up behind me. "May I have this next dance?"_

_I jumped straight up. "What the Hell!" Then, I turned around and blushed seeing that it was Wayne. "Sorry, Bruce, I wasn't expecting you." _

"_That's fine…" He left of the sentence blank for me to fill in my name._

"_Alex."_

"_So, Alex, may I have the next dance?"_

"_I know that you saw me dancing." Got a chuckle from him. "Do you really want that reputation?"_

_He feigned ignorance. "What reputation?"_

_If he were one of the guys, I would have punched him in the arm. "Shut up. You know what I mean. I can't dance. Two left feet. That sorta thing."_

"_I can teach you, if it's a slow song." He had this smirk on his face that I just immediately fell in love with. He put out his hand for me to take._

"_Well, if you insist…" I smiled and took his hand. _

_He led me out onto the dance floor as a slow song came on. He held me close to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, and then he placed his hands on my waist. I heard the guys ooing and awing. I rolled my eyes, and really wanted to punch them. I could here him whispering in my ear, "Left foot back. Right foot left," etc. It was comforting. I suddenly, and awkwardly, remembered Rachel, but right then, I didn't care. I was dancing with Bruce Wayne, my crush and Gotham's billion-dollar playboy._

It was a pleasant memory. I laughed at my actions. I walked down the sidewalk towards my dad's precinct. I knew that he hadn't moved. I had done my research, and it seemed like everyone that he used to work with were still there. It would nice to see them all again. I looked up and gazed upon the building that would sometimes be my afterschool hangout, the 39th Precinct. I pushed open the heavy glass doors. I took the elevator up to the floor that my dad worked on. I was first greeted by my dad's best friend, but I still didn't know his name. Bad move on my part.

"Hey guys, look it's Alex Gordon!" They all looked up and came over to me.

"Hey, Alex!" Got a pat on the back.

"Back from the dead, huh girl?" We hugged and laughed.

"You look like your mother and father got stuck together in a machine!" Not expecting that one.

I began to tune things out as I searched for my dad. He stood against a doorframe, staring at me. I followed that old cop trick and searched his eyes. They certainly weren't blank, but they didn't have joy in them either. Couldn't be good for me, I knew that. I squeezed my past all of the happy officers. Their ruckus died out as I made my way for my dad. I stood up to him and stared him in the eyes for any hint of love. It was there, but was so was rage. I smiled weakly. He pulled me into the office and closed the door, but not before telling the other officers to get back to work.

"Dad…," I tried pathetically.

"Alex," he stated. It wasn't kind. There was a long, very awkward silence before he started again. "It was eleven years!"

"I know, Dad." I tried to keep the peace. It wasn't going to work.

"Do you have any idea how much Hell you put me through?"

"Ye--." I was cut off.

"No! You have no idea! That day was the beginning to my own personal Hell, not counting the Hell I put up with everyday working as a cop in this corrupt city!"

"Dad, I'm sorry." I truly was. I wanted to make things right. I didn't want this hatred to come between us.

"Don't even start! I waited every day for a phone call, a letter, for you to walk back into my life!" At this, he fell silent and sat down. He held his head in his hands. I could tell that he was possibly crying.

I sat down next to him with my hand on his arm. "Daddy, I didn't mean for this to be like this. I did it with the best intentions. I didn't call because; well, I don't know; I didn't want you to worry, I guess. Now, I'm back. Please, can we just forget this ever happened?" I sounded so pathetic and childish, but maybe, just maybe it would work.

He looked up at me from behind his newly acquired glasses and just wrapped me in his arms. "Don't you ever leave like that again! I missed you sooooo much!"

I hugged him back as hard as I could. I had really missed him. "Well, I'm not leaving. I'm your new partner." He looked up at me. It was pure and total shock. I laughed. "Meet Detective Alexandra Gordon," I managed to get out.

He hugged me again. "I'm gonna kill you!" I knew he was joking. "Well, it's good to have you working with me, Alex. Another straight cop." We smiled and laughed. Everything was going to be all right, for now…..

**Okay, longer than I was expecting, but oh well. Hope that you all love it. I won't be able to post for a few days since I am leaving on a trip. I will be back in like 6 days so, I will post then. Review!!!! I gotta go pack (shifty eyes)**


	3. Chapter 3

**WOW!!! Four reviews on one chapter! I think that that is a personal best for me! Thanks guys!!!! Keep reading and reviewing. Let's see if we can break my record.**

**Okay, Jousting Elf, I'm glad that you liked it!!!!**

**Chaos, I'm glad that the plot interests you. Just wait! **

**Lady Slone, just read this chapter! I think the general consensus is interesting. I think that that's a good thing.**

**Roxy!!! You reviewed on my House MD story. Good to hear from you again. What do you mean by owe you another review? If you mean another chapter, here ya go!**

For three years, Dad and I worked at Gotham PD, but things kept getting worse. The cops and DA didn't make much difference in a city ruled by the mob. To make matters worse, Dad and I seemed to be the only straight cops in the entire city. Great, huh? Neither of got promoted by Commisioner Loeb, but honestly, he didn't like me at all, and I don't think that he was too fond of Dad. I basically had no life, but tonight, I managed to get away from the precinct and sit at home. It was going to be a nice change. I packed up my stuff and headed to the door.

"Where do you think you're going, Missy?" My dad blocked the door.

"Dad, I'm going home to relax," I explained. "You should too." I sighed and moved past him. "Barb will kill you."

He shrugged. "I need to finish up some paper work then I'll go home." I don't think he was actually talking to me, but at least he was going to head home.

I shook my head and smirked as I headed out the door of the building and hopped on my speed bike and rode home. Well, my apartment. Once I got to my apartment building, I got off the bike and walked up the stairs to the main door. I opened it with my key and stepped in the elevator. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. I needed the night off, badly. I hadn't been home in over three weeks. Once I got in my apartment, I grabbed a beer and literally collapsed on the couch. I flipped on the TV and looked through channels. Nothing good on, so I turned it over to the news. Yeah, I know, I'm turning into my dad. The thought sent shivers down my spine, but the story caught my attention.

"Back from the Dead," the reporter said. "After being reportedly dead for seven years, Bruce Wayne is back in Gotham. Catch the full story after the commercials."

What? Bruce was gone. When did he leave? Well, apparently when you're gone for eleven years, things happen. I laughed quietly at that little thought. I drank some more of my beer and sunk back into the couch. Finally, the commercial break was over.

"After disappearing several years ago, Gotham's billionaire play boy has returned. He was reported dead by his butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a few months after his mysterious disappearance. He was seen at Wayne Enterprises yesterday attending a meeting." She continued to drone on about Bruce, but my attention was redirected to my cell phone, which was ringing.

I grabbed it off the table and answered it. "Gordon."

"It's the other Gordon," my dad said on the end of the line.

"Dad, what's up?" I questioned.

"The weirdest thing just happened." He paused. "I was sitting in my office. I reached for the phone to call Barbara, and this book on bats was sitting on my desk."

I sat down at the dining table. "That's weird."

"Yeah, I know, and then the lights just switched off. I felt something, like a gun, in the middle of my back."

"But it wasn't a gun?"

"No, it was a stapler," my explained. "Somebody told me not to turn around in this weird voice. I asked what he wanted, and he was explaining that I was one of the few good cops. Then he asked how to get Falcone. He explained about this shipment of drugs. I told him that he would need Judge Phelan. He mentioned Rachel Dawes and when I asked him who he was, he simply said 'Watch for a sign.' Isn't that so odd?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "What do we do? Is he on our side?"

"He said that we were two, but I'm gonna guess that you're next. So expect a visit." There was a pause. "Hold up. I got someone on the other line."

I waited as I pondered what this all meant. Why would someone do that? That would take a lot of nerve to do that. I grabbed the remote and switched off the TV. I didn't need to hear our droning reporter go on about some dumb story.

Dad switched back over. "That was Barbara. I gotta go. See ya in the morning." He hung up. I shook my head as I put the phone down. Strange things happen in Gotham, but never this weird…well, maybe, but that wasn't the point.

I put my head in my hands and fell asleep. I needed it. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

**Okay, that was short and crap. I don't like the ending, but it's all I got. Obviously, I'm in **_**Batman Begins **_**now. So here's another disclaimer: The plot of Batman Begins belongs to WB and Chris Nolan, and the other guy that wrote it. I'm just tweaking it a little bit. No suing. It's just all fun and writing.**

**Okay. Next chapter will be up later today. I'm stuck at home with nothing to do, so might as well write, right? LOL I crack myself up sometimes. Sorry that was lame. So review, and wait patiently for the next chapter. =) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Seven frickin' reviews!!!!!!!!! Oh my Gosh! I don't think I've ever had that many on one chapter!**

**LS, thanks for the advice. I think that it will help, but watching the movie again definitely helped. LOL I hope this one lives up to your satisfaction.**

**Hannah, gotcha. I get it now. LOL Sorry it was short. I'm hoping that this one will be a little bit longer. Maybe. Hopefully! LOL Here's more. **

**Charlie, I'm glad that you find it good. Here's the next chapter.**

**LunaMica, here's more.**

**Chaos, yeah, that scene makes me laugh a little bit too. The look on his face cracks me up. No offense! Thank you for saying that it wasn't crap. I ran out of stuff at the end. I hope that this chapter is better. **

**Jousting Elf, I'm glad that you liked it. Thanks for the kind words. Here's the update.**

**Johanna, glad that you like it.**

**Sorry it took so long! I needed to re-obsess myself with the movie. LOL I hope this is a very good chapter.**

Morning came after Dad's encounter. I walked into work with my wet hair pulled back in my typical ponytail. I was wearing just a simple pair of docker pants and an oxford shirt. My gun and badge sat on my belt at my waist. I tossed my messenger bag at the bottom of my desk in my office and closed the door. I logged into my computer and began to file paperwork when there was a knock on the window in my door. I looked up and saw my dad. He had this look on his face. It was his typical look. It's hard to describe; sort of a "Hurry up/ I'm listening" look. He did it all the time, even if he wasn't talking to a witness, but I got it a lot. I got up and opened the door.

"Morning, Sarg," I greeted warmly.

He handed me a cup of coffee. "Morning, Detective." We laughed.

"Anything I can do other than paperwork?" I asked hopefully. I hated doing paperwork, but it was part of the job that I loved. The thing that I sadly liked about Gotham, was that I didn't have to do a lot of paperwork since I was out in the field most of the time.

He cracked a smile, but didn't say anything. He didn't get a chance. His cell phone rang. "Gordon." Silence. "Shit!" He slammed his fist on my desk. "You're kidding me?....Fine." He hung up. I just stared at him. "Crane dubbed another mob shooter insane and took him to Arkham. The guy was soo not insane."

"I don't know about this Crane guy, Dad. I don't think the guys he brings to Arkham are actually doing jail time. He's up to somethin'. I just don't know what." I sat down.

"I know," Dad soothed. "We'll get him…eventually." He smiled and hit the doorframe lightly as he headed out.

I leaned back in my chair and stretched. I bent back over my desk and begun to work on sorting and filing and filling out paperwork. So much paperwork. By the end of the day, I had probably gone through over 50 pounds of paper. Well, at least my desk was clean and hopefully, I wouldn't have paperwork for a few days. I grabbed my bag, shut off the desk lamp and closed the door to my office as I walked out. I stopped by Dad's office, knocked on the open door and poked my head in.

"Dad, I'm headin' home early. Call me if something comes up?"

He looked up from his paperwork and nodded.

"Dad, you look like you need some sleep. The paper work can wait for the morning. Go home, get dinner and get some sleep, or get some sleep here." I smiled and went home.

I drove home in the dark. On a motorbike, it's a little scary. I opened the door of the apartment and flipped on the lights. I tossed my bag on the floor and put the keys on the table by my door. I walked into the main room and about flew out of my own skin.

Standing in the middle of my apartment was a very tall bat/man. The guy was wearing a freaking batsuit. He had his arms crossed. His dark, blank eyes were set upon me. There was a dark aura about him, but he had this thing about him that I trusted. I couldn't describe it if I tried, but I trusted him. Still, he was a bat/man standing in my apartment. I reached for my phone to call my dad, but then he spoke.

"Don't bother." It was very deep and gruff. "Now, instead of two, we become three, and tell your father, my sign is here." He jumped out of the window and disappeared. I watched him fly off, and then I saw a flood light with a somewhat symbol of a bat coming from the docks.

I dialed my dad at home. "Hello." It was Barbara. "Is Dad there?"

"Hold on, Alex," she said. There was silence. "Hello."

"Dad! I can't believe it!" I pretty much just rambled.

"Al, calm down. Tell me what happened."

"That weirdo that was in your office. The book on bats."

"Sweetie," he tried.

I took a deep breath. "The guy that you were telling me about was at my place. His sign is here."

"What?"

"Look outside." The silence told me that he was looking out a window.

"Yeah, I see it."

"Meet me at the docks." I hung up. I grabbed my coat and a knife. I had no use for it really, but I figured that someone was tied to that spotlight. I hopped on my bike and rode as fast as I could to the docks. Some patrolmen were all ready there. Dad had apparently called it in. Only problem: people that weren't cops were swarming around. I threw my leg over the bike and set my helmet on the seat. I showed my badge and walked up to the attending officer, until Dad got there.

"What do we have?" I asked the patrolman.

He spun around. "Detective." He blushed.

"Just tell me."

"All of Falcone's men are over there." He gestured to a group of men that were all sitting with rope tied around them. "And Falcone himself." This time he gestured to the spotlight. Falcone was tied with arms spread wide and both his feet tied to the bottom. He had some sort of fabric draped on him that made it look like bat wings. Figured.

Dad had apparently gotten there because I could hear the patrolman greet him. "What do we got, Alex?" he said as he came up behind me.

"Falcone and cronies." I turned around and smiled.

"They say some sorta bat did it," the patrolman added.

I gave the "I told you so" look.

He shrugged. "Cut him down."

I pulled out my knife and sliced the feet and then the arms. I turned just in time to see Dad get in his car and go home. I sighed and stepped down from the light. "I'm gonna look around," I told the patrolman. I walked away from the crowd into the all the cargo bins. It was weird feeling so I pulled out my gun just in case. Granted, I did have awesome combat skills, but guns were still preferable. I turned a corner and got my gun taken by black-gloved hands. I threw my foot up to make a kick. He blocked it and came into the light. It was that bat thing again.

"Surveying your handiwork?"

He just stood there.

"Don't make me get them over here." I was talking about the patrolmen, and he knew it. Still didn't faze him.

"I took out all of Falcone's men, and yes, they had guns, by myself. What do you think is going to happen to your men?"

I stared at him through narrowed eyes. "At least give me my gun back," I ordered.

"Do you trust me?"

I shook my head. "What the Hell does that have to with anything?"

"I need to know if you trust me."

Fine, if we were going to play games, "Do you trust me?"

"Only if you trust me."

"Just give me my damn gun." I held out my hand.

"Do you trust me?"

"Yes! Now, give me my gun."

"Answer honestly."

I wanted to punch this guy in the face. I didn't have time for games. Well, I actually did, but that wasn't the point. "Fine. It's too early to tell. Can I have my gun?"

Apparently, he liked my answer because he handed the gun back to me.

I holstered it and when I turned back, he was gone. "Swell," I mumbled. "Houston, we have a mad-bat on the loose." I laughed at my stupidity. I walked back to my bike and rode home.

**Okay, I actually liked how that turned out. Review guys. I may have another chapter up tomorrow. Hopefully, I will. So there's that chapter. A few more chapters of **_**Batman Begins**_**, and then I may have a bridge chapter before **_**The Dark Knight**_**! WOOHOO! Don't get too excited because I go back to school on the 5****th****. So, the flow of chapters will slow down. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, five reviews aren't bad considering that I just woke up. So thanks guys.**

**Lady Slone – well, I know I should just write for me, but when people don't like it, I wan't to fix it so that they do. Maybe it's just me. For your info, my English teacher sounds exactly the same. Don't worry about sounding like them. I started to. LOL**

**Rae – I'll take that as a compliment about your friend. You know, I'm actually kinda wondering where this story will go too. JK LOL**

**Hannah – Short!? What?! That took me like an hour and a half to write. Besides, we wouldn't want the entire movie in one chapter, now would we? No, hard feelings though. Yeah, it was a little short. =D Well, don't hold your breath on when I post. Then I know I'll get sued. I don't have any money to pay you! LOL**

**Vertigirl – interesting name, but I like it. Thank you for liking it. Here's your update. **

**Jousting Elf – Good to hear from you right off the bat. Glad the chapter was good. I'm trying to keep the language to a minimal, trust me. Think about it though, a cop in Gotham. They're gonna pick up some colorful words, but I will try to keep it to as few as possible. I hoping that this will pan out the way that I planned, so cross your fingers for me. =P **

**Okay, here, my readers, is chapter five of Gotham Knights. **

Well, Batman made the front page of _Gotham Times_, and Commissioner Loeb was any but happy. He called us into his relatively large office, and when I say us, I mean all of Gotham PD. His office may have been the biggest in the precinct, but it didn't fit all of us. Most of the guys were on the floor. Dad and I stood in the door way as Commissioner Loeb ranted about this bat.

"Unacceptable," he ranted. "I don't care if it's rival gangs, guardian angels or the goddamn Salvation Army. Get them off the street, and off the front page."

"They say it was one guy," one of the patrolmen commented, "or thing." There was chuckling from the men around him. Luckily, he was close to me.

I hit his arm. "Shut up."

"Dipping into their own supply. It was just some asshole in a costume." They were chuckling again. I looked over at Dad and he just shrugged. "If it's one guy, that'll make it a lot easier for you, won't it?"

Didn't he take out all of Falcone's men single handedly? It was just a thought. Dad raised his hand. Loeb acknowledged it.

"This guy did deliver us one of the city's biggest crime lords." He had a point. A big point. Loeb didn't like it anyway.

"No one takes the law into their own hands in my city, understand?"

Dad nodded, but I wasn't going accept that.

"We couldn't get anything on him, and now he's in our custody," I countered. I was screwed just by the look on Loeb's face. "Yeah, I get that people, or things, can't just take the law into their own hands, but count your frickin' blessings. We don't have to worry about Falcone anymore."

Loeb opened his mouth to say something. He shut it, opened it again, and then shut it again. "Get out of my office."

I smirked and spun out of his office. I was so fired. I sat down in my office and just laughed. Some of the patrolmen came in a few minutes later to congratulate me on my little stunt. I smiled. Then I saw Dad standing in the doorway.

"Hey, guys, get out." I tilted my head towards Dad. They got it and left.

"Quite the stunt, Alex," he scolded.

I sighed and shrugged. "I wasn't going to let him tell you off."

"Liar."

"Fine," I confessed. "We're the only one's that actually know him, and you had a point."

"So you trust him?"

"I don't know," I answered.

Dad just stared at me.

"Fine," I said. "I guess, I trust him, and besides he gave us Falcone." That was all I had. My little comeback, obnoxious streak had passed.

"Yeah, he did." He came over and sat on my desk. He stared at me. I hated when he did that. He pretty much seemed to know everything when he stared at me like that. "You're not gonna get fired, Al. Don't worry. His bark is worse than his bite. He knows that you're a straight cop, so he won't fire you." I guess my eyes got mischievous. "Don't even think about it."

I laughed. "I won't. Surprisingly, I actually like this job, Dad."

He rolled his eyes. "Hey," he changed the subject, "what are you doing for dinner?"

I stared at him blankly. "I'm going out with all my girlfriends, hoping to get laid."

"Haha, very funny," he joked sarcastically. "What are you really doing?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"Just wondering if you wanted to come over to my place and have a family dinner. Jimmy's dying to see you again. You're a great big sister to him." He smiled. Now he was acting more like my dad than my partner.

"Dad, you do know that I'm like 20 something years older than him." I grimaced. "Gosh, am I really that old?"

He laughed. "Think about me! I'm 40 something years older than him, but still, family dinner?"

"You know that I don't like Barb that much," I said, "but I'll go."

He clapped my shoulder. "That's my girl." He smiled and walked out of my office. I sighed heavily. I'm so screwed. I shook my head and went back to work.

That night, I went to Dad and Barbara's place. I locked my bike to the fire escape and knocked on the door. I heard Dad tell Jimmy to get it. I laughed as Jimmy came to the door. Okay, well I was only 22 years older than him, but I was still old enough to be his mom. The thought sickened me. The door opened and my little half-brother stood there.

"Alex!" He hugged me.

"Hey, buddy!" I messed with his hair. "What's for dinner?"

"Mommy told me not to say," he answered.

"C'mon! Gimme a hint?"

He shook his head.

Dad came to the door. He just laughed. "Hey, Jimbo, go on inside." The little blonde boy ran inside and sat at the table patiently.

I straightened myself back up.

"I'm surprised you came."

"Don't say that," I pleaded. "It's not my fault. Barb doesn't like me!" Yeah, weak case.

"She does too!"

"She's not Mom!" When I saw Dad's face, I immediately felt bad for what I had just said. "Dad, I'm sorry. I know that you love her, and because of that, I'll try too." He still didn't look very happy. I hugged him. "Sorry."

He smacked me. "Jerk!"

I laughed. "Let's get some food. I haven't eaten since this morning and I'm starved!"

He laughed and walked inside. I followed.

Dinner was amazing. I may not have liked Barb, but she was an amazing cook. Much better than Dad, I have to say. We had the best meatloaf in the world. Jimmy still wouldn't eat it. I coaxed to him to eat it. I proved to him that it wasn't poisoned, which was his huge excuse. Next excuse, it was nasty. Okay, granted, it looked kinda scary, but it was really good. Eventually, I gave up, and Dad went outside to take out the trash. I listened carefully and hear our friend's voice. Dad poked his head inside.

"Alex! Come help me with this rat!"

"Ooh! I wanna see!" Jimmy called.

"Only if you eat your dinner! Alex, get out here!"

I got out of my seat and went outside. I closed the door behind me. I looked up and saw our friend in the fire escape.

"Scum's gettin' jumpy 'cause you took out Falcone," I started.

"It's a start," he countered. "Flass was at the docks with Falcone."

"He moonlights as a low-level enforcer," Dad defended.

"Does not!" I said. "He's just a crooked cop."

"There was another man," Batman cut in. "He was testing the drugs."

"So it wasn't a buy?" I asked.

"Why would you risk opening the package on the docks?" Dad wondered.

"Flass knows," Batman acknowledged.

"He won't talk," I answered.

"He'll talk to me," he replied.

"Commissioner Loeb set up a massive task force to catch you. He thinks you're dangerous," Dad explained.

"What you think, Sergeant?" Batman asked. Here we go again with the games.

"I think you're trying to help," Dad admitted. He looked at me and I nodded. He turned back to where Batman was sitting, but he was gone. "But I've been wrong before."

"Dad, he got your answer," I explained. "There was no need for him to stick around."

He shrugged and went back inside. I hopped on my bike and drove home.

It was a very boring ride home, I have to admit. I got back to my apartment and checked my mail. Nothing really. A few adds, one bill, and a very decorative envelope. I got back into my apartment and sunk into the couch and opened up the pretty envelope. It was from Bruce Wayne. It was a birthday invitation. The guy was the same age as me if not a year older and he was still having birthday parties. Well, I guess if you got tons of money, that's what you do. I got up, placed the envelope on my table and headed to bed.

**Okay, there's the 5****th**** chapter. I hope that you like it. **

**Jousting Elf, I'm sorry about the language, but I was just copying the script. My apologies.**

**Hope you guys liked it. Review. I may get another chapter up today, but I just don't know.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm not gonna say anything about the reviews. I like my number, but that in no way means stop reviewing. I like hearing what you guys think.**

**Rae—Thanks.**

**Johanna—It will. Oh, it will be very, very interesting…I hope. _**

**Hannah—I'm not gonna say! ;P That would be giving it away. You'll find out. Patience. **

**Lady Slone—Well, I'm glad that you like Alex. Yeah, he totally deserved it! Like seriously! Here's your update.**

**Charlie—How could I not have Batman! LOL I'm glad that you liked it. Thanks for the compliment too. =)**

**LunaMica—Thank you for understanding the school thing. I hate it. I love just sitting around doing nothing but writing. LOL I'm glad that you loved it! Forgive me for asking, but what is a Mary Sue? Sorry, I think I know what you're talking about, but I'm not sure. Thank you for the compliments.**

**Hope you guys like it. Here's chapter 6. **

Morning came, but not when I wanted it to. I had set my alarm for 6:30 so I could get to work on time and still get a shower that morning. When I finally rolled over, it was 7:00. I frantically shut off my alarm and grabbed pretty much anything off the floor. I need to be at work in 30 minutes. So not going to happen! I threw on a pair of brown suit pants and slung my belt through the belt loops as I looked for a somewhat decent shirt to wear with it. I grabbed a light blue shirt and a breakfast bar as I headed out the door. Just as I closed the door, I remembered that it was supposed to be a little chilly today. So I pulled on the blue oxford and went back into my apartment. I searched through my closet for a reasonable suit coat. I found a brown suit coat. I through it on over my oxford and rushed out the door. I sped down the stairs and hopped on my bike and took as many shortcuts to work. At every stoplight, I would check my watch. I was still a block away when my watch hit 7:30. I knew that Loeb would be crawling all over me for being late. I had managed to set myself up for unemployment.

Finally I pulled up to the precinct. I shut off the bike as I was dashing up the stairs. I ran into a patrolman as I made my way to the elevator. He was laughing and not moving.

"Wilson, move!"

"You're late!"

"Shut up!" I shoved my way past him to get to the elevator. I stood towards the front of the elevator waiting for the doors to open. After what seemed an eternity (that probably had something to do with me constantly staring at my watch), the doors opened. I walked briskly to my office to find Loeb sitting in my chair, and on my desk was a pile of folders, files, and other paper that had to be at least three feet high. Guess that's what I got for back talking the commissioner.

"You're little act yesterday, Detective Gordon, is what got you this massive amount of paperwork." He gestured to the huge pile on my desk. "Oh, and you're late."

I clenched my teeth. He deserved every word that I said to him yesterday. "Traffic."

"You're lucky I didn't fire you."

"You can't afford to lose me. I one of your only straight cops."

"Don't give me that attitude." Gosh, that sounded like my principal.

"Just get out of my office." I held the door open for him.

He huffed himself out of my office.

I sat in my chair and just stared at the task ahead of me. I sorted out old case files from new ones, reports from profiles. Dad eventually stopped by with a cup of coffee in his hand. He sat down in the chair across from me. He handed the steaming cup over to me.

"Thanks, Dad, you have no idea how much I needed this."

He flipped his finger at my open shirt. "You should probably button that."

I smiled innocently and buttoned all the buttons. "Thanks."

He gestured to the pile on my desk. "Nice little present that Loeb left for you."

"Shut up." I smiled to show that it was a joke.

"Hope the coffee helps." He walked out.

"Thanks." I went back to work. I sorted; I filed. It seemed like the stacks never got smaller. Finally, lunch came. I was just about to go grab some lunch, seeing as I didn't make any this morning, when Loeb stood at the door.

Now what? "Yes, Commissioner?"

"I was just seeing how much progress you were making, Gordon." He had this smug look that was just begging to be smacked off.

I had had enough of this guy. I didn't even say anything. I just continued working. I was starving, but I was going to prove to him that he couldn't scare or intimidate me. I just kept working until he left, and then I worked some more. I was starving by the time that the day shift left, but I was almost done. My stomach growled one last time before I had finally finished all that paperwork. I leaned back in my chair and smiled at all the work I had accomplished.

I went down to the work out level and took a shower. The warm water felt so good against my skin. I had finally relaxed by the time I had gotten out of the shower. I got dressed and headed back upstairs. Time to dig up something on Crane. We all knew that he was up to something, but we just didn't know what yet.

I sat down at my computer with my wet hair hanging about my shoulders. I went to every known search site. Nothing. Finally, I went to another city's police website. They still had old case files if you were authorized to look at them. Lucky for me, I was. I searched for Dr. Jonathan Crane. One case file. Score. As I read through it, I realized that Dr. Crane was not just a psychologist, but that he was some sort of freaky villain. He called himself the "Scarecrow." He had done some weird thing with a toxin that enduced fear. It didn't work real well, but just enough for them to make a case out of it. That was probably what was going on with the drugs at the dock. This was definitely a huge break. I needed to go find Dad.

I pushed away from the computer and began searching for my dad. He wasn't in his office. I looked around the floor; no one. I was just about to check a different level, when Dad came bursting out of the elevator apparently looking for me. We just both started talking. Nothing was understood from either of us.

"What?" we finally just said together, which put a stop to all of the babbling.

"We need to go," Dad explained.

"Where?"

"Arkham. All we know is that there is a situation."

"Let's go," I said as I walked into the elevator. "I can tell you in the car, and I'm driving."

"Fine."

I slid into the driver's seat, and Dad slid in next to me. I started the car, put up the siren and took off down the road.

"So what do you need to tell me, Al?"

I looked over at him. "I was digging up stuff on Crane, and guess what I found?"

Dad's turn to look over at me, but I kept my eyes on the road. "Alex, no time for games. Crane is at Arkham."

"Fine, Mr. Serious," I joked. Not a good time to be doing that because I got a death glare from the passenger side. "Sorry. I was looking through some old case files from another city, and Dr. Crane isn't his only alias."

"What do you mean?"

"Turns out he also goes by the alias, Scarecrow. Scare being the key word," I explained. "He figured out some way to make a fear-inducing toxin. It was absorbed through the water that he gave his patients. It was weird."

"That's what's in the other half of the drugs!"

"That's my guess." I pulled up to Arkham. "We're here." I shut off the car just in time to hear the patrolman over the bullhorn.

"Batman put down your weapons and surrender. You're surrounded."

I laughed because I knew that he wasn't going to surrender. Flass pulled in next to our car and asked the patrolman what we were waiting for.

"Backup," was the answer.

"Backup?! You got twelve cars here."

"The Batman's in there," he cowered. "SWAT's on the way, but if you wanna go in now, I'll be right behind you, sir."

Flass looked over at us. "SWAT's on the way." It was dismissive.

I looked over at Dad and he gave me the nod to go in. I followed him with my gun drawn. We walked next to each other pretty much all the way to staircase, both looking for any sign of danger. The only reason why someone would call about Batman was if he was stopping whatever they were doing, and we knew that Crane was working here. Once we made it to the stairs, we both signaled to split up. Dad took the left staircase, and I took the right. I couldn't see Dad when I looked over, but I was fine. Well, I thought I was. Soon after I looked over to find Dad, I was grabbed by something and pulled up into the rafters.

"What the --?" I was cut off by Batman's hand on my mouth. He pointed to the stairs where SWAT was rushing up. I was about to say something else, but he had all ready left. Of course! I turned around to see Rachel lying unconscious on the floor. I was gaping when he came back with Dad.

Dad was about ready to shout at Batman when he turned around and saw me and Rachel. "What's happened to her?"

"Probably Crane's toxin," I mused.

"Yes," Batman confirmed. "He was the third man at the docks."

"So I was right?"

"What do you know?"

"He's the Scarecrow," I stated. "He's worked with fear toxin before." I studied Rachel.

Dad pulled out his walkie-talkie to call it in.

"The medics can't help her, but I can."

The lights switched on. SWAT had made their way up here. Batman pushed something in the bottom of his boot. It was glowing red, and soon we heard squeaking and screeching.

"What is that?"

"Backup. Meet me in the alley on the Narrows' side."

He was about to jump when I cut in. "What's he planning?"

"I don't know."

"Was he working for Falcone?" Dad asked.

"No. He mentioned someone else, someone worse."

Swell. He dropped the thing from his boot down the stairwell and jumped into the sea of bats. He was gone again. I was wondering why I began to trust him.

Dad picked up Rachel and starting carrying her down the stairs, but after a few flights, he got tired and I carried her. We worked like that until we made it outside to the alley.

"How is she?" our dark friend said as he approached.

"Fading," I answered. A helicopter flew overhead.

"I'll get the car," Dad offered.

"I brought mine."

"Yours?" we said together.

There was a thunderous growl and headlights blinded our vision. He roared past us in a black, tank sort of thing. As he tore, quite literally, through the streets, I gaped at it.

"I gotta get me one of those!" I said with a grin on my face.

"Don't even think about it," Dad warned.

I smiled and headed back inside to where we had Crane restrained.

"Is he cooperating?"

"If you're defining cooperating as chewing through three pairs of restraints, then yes. Did we get the Batman?"

"Nope." Dad looked at me and a small very subtle smile crossed his face.

"You wouldn't happen to know if he was working on something that had to do with toxin?"

"Yeah, follow me." He guided us down to the basement.

There was a hole in a pipe with water tearing through it.

"They hit the water mains," Dad stated indifferently. Then he saw the toxin containers. "Get someone from the water board over here."

"All ready on it, sir."

I looked at my watch and realized that I was late for Bruce's party. So much for dressing up. "Dad, I gotta go. Can you handle this by yourself?"

He looked at me. "Yeah. Where are you going?"

"Doesn't matter. Call me if you get something." I rushed up the stairs. "Just go back with Flass."

"I was planning on it."

I ran out to the car and headed for Wayne Manor.

**Okay, that was really long!!! I was not expecting it to be that long. The next chapter will probably be pretty long too. I'm gonna finish up the movie in the last chapter because I wanna finish this movie before school starts. I will maybe have one or two chapters before I launch The Dark Knight. SO review. Hope that you all liked it. I'm not sure about it, but I don't wanna rewrite it. =D Yes, laziness. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, this is the big chapter for me. It's gonna be long, I can tell you that now. I'm a little nervous that I won't be able to make it very good. I watched the part over and over again, and I have the script (thank you Internet! LOL), but I'm still nervous. I hope that this turns out all right. To my comments on reviews,**

**Charlie—I'm beginning to think that the general consensus of this story is interesting! LOL It seems that everybody thinks that. Well, I hope this is very interesting for you. Thanks for the compliment again =) Tell me if I get Bruce right. LOL He seems to be a hard man to get into characterization. **

**Rae—Yeah, I know. It was annoying, but I was having fun. Well, you know about Gordon or Alex driving, I actually haven't quite decided yet. Thanks for the compliment.**

**LunaMica—Glad that you like it. Thank you for explaining it to me. I was thinking something totally different. Oops! Apparently I didn't know. LOL Here's the next chapter. I hope it's as good as the last two. **

**Lady Slone—Glad that you liked it. Here's more.**

**Hannah—Yeah, get on that!!! LOL JK. LMAO about the Batman Begins music. That's really ironic huh?**

**Jousting Elf—You're alive!! LOL Thank for such compliments on my story! Hope that you like this one just as much.**

**Johanna—Good to hear from you. And yes, the party! LOL**

**If you couldn't figure out, I'm really nervous this isn't going to work, but crossing my fingers it will work out. **

I pulled into the Wayne Manor to see a ton of limos all ready here. All the drivers were standing around chatting. I was late. I sighed and shrugged as I got out of the car. It was typical for me to be late. Still, I climbed up the stairs to be greeted by an old man that looked very father like. He was dressed in a tux and his white hair was slicked to the side. He smiled at me kindly.

"You're late, Miss Gordon," he said simply. He was English; very clearly English.

"I'm sorry. I've been late all day," I sighed. "I just wish I wasn't for this."

"Don't worry, Miss," he comforted. "The man of the hour isn't even inside yet." He checked his watch again.

"Thank you, …" I left it open for him to answer.

"Alfred. Alfred Pennyworth, Miss Gordon."

"Well, if we meet again, Alfred, call me Alex." I smiled and went inside. I felt so weird for not wearing a dress as I stepped into the entertaining hall. Everyone was dressed up, except for me. I smiled at the strange looks I got. I was just a little bit shy, so I went to the corner and just hung out. I heard Bruce come in. My heart skipped a beat. I guess after eleven years I still liked him. I laughed at my stupidity. He scanned over the head of his guests, and his eyes settled on me. He nodded and smiled. I smiled back; I could feel my cheeks turning red. He made his way through the crowd over to me.

"Alex Gordon," he greeted, " I was not expecting you to actually show up."

"Almost didn't, Bruce."

"Really?" he asked ignorantly.

"I got caught up with something at work. That's why I'm not in a dress."

"Anything interesting?" he asked.

"Yes," I confirmed, "but classified." I changed the subject. "Why did you invite me, Bruce Wayne?"

"Am I not allowed to reconnect with an old friend?"

"We hung out once," I pointed out.

"True, but I enjoyed every second of it."

I sighed. He was hopeless.

"A guy isn't allowed to invite the girl that he likes to a party?" he questioned.

"I guess it's allowed." I smiled.

We were interrupted by a very boring lady. "Oh, Bruce, there is just someone you have to meet!"

"Not now, Mrs. Delane," Bruce convinced as he was still staring at me.

My phone started ringing. "Gordon." I smiled and waved at Bruce as I headed outside. "Yeah, Dad."

"He's completely saturated the water, but the funny thing is, well not exactly funny, is that it's not harmful unless it's breathed."

"Huh?" My attention had been drawn back to Bruce.

"Ra's Al Ghul is dead," Bruce stated. "I watched him die."

"But is Ra's Al Ghul immortal?" I didn't recognize the man at all. He was dressed in all black.

Bruce didn't seem to be to be pleased to see him when he turned around.

The man continued. "Are not his methods supernatural?"

Bruce nodded. "Or cheap parlor tricks to conceal your true identity,…Ra's?" Apparently, he knew the guy under a different name.

"Surely you don't begrudge my dual identities?"

I was beginning to get suspicious about Bruce, as well as his "guest." Was it possible that Bruce was Batman? Surely not.

"Alex!" I heard Dad shout over the phone.

"Yeah," I turned my attention back to my dad, but my eyes never left Bruce. "I'm still here." I caught Bruce's gaze and mouthed, "Do you want me to help?" I showed my badge over the people.

He just shook his head and mouthed back, "I can handle it, but get out of here now!"

It was urgent, so I reluctantly left. I kept looking over my shoulder and Bruce nodded.

"Al, get down here!" Dad ordered.

"I'm coming."

"Is everything all right?"

"I'm not sure, but I hope so." I looked over my shoulder one last time to see Bruce smile at me. I smiled back as I walked out the door.

"Leaving so early, Alex," Alfred commented.

"Work," I explained.

He saw the badge and nodded. "Good luck."

"Thank you," I said as I got in my car. I turned the siren on and sped off to the Narrows. I met Dad outside of Arkham. "What's up?"

"Where were you?"

"Dad, I'm your partner, not you're teenage daughter," I complained.

"You were at one point," he acknowledged, "and you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying on the phone."

"I was at Bruce Wayne's birthday party," I stated matter-of-factly.

"What was going on?"

"I'm not exactly sure," I confessed, "but Bruce wasn't to happy about one of his guests being there. He said it was fine, but I'm still not sure." I changed the subject over to Dad. "What's going on here?"

"Mayhem," Dad said.

"Whatdya mean?"

"Somebody bombed the asylum and everybody broke out of Arkham. I just called it in."

"Yeah I noticed that they were about to close the bridges." This night was not making any sense.

Through the chaos, we both turned and saw Rachel come up to us. She was walking very purposefully. He stopped at us.

"How are feeling?" I asked.

"Better. A mutual friend told me to give these to you." She held out three vials of a liquid. "They counteract the toxin. I hope that you don't have to use them." She smiled.

"Patrolman!" Dad called out. Some random patrolman came up. "Take her back over before they raise the bridges."

He nodded and took Rachel away.

"This is gonna be a long night," I yawned.

"Don't get tired," Dad joked. "We still have the entire night." It was a tense joke, but that was acceptable considering our situation. He hit me in the back.

I laughed, but unfortunately it was cut short. There was screaming as all of the water pipes just hit a high pressure and vaporized completely. I looked over at Dad, who had a panic-stricken look. "I guess we know how they're gonna spread it," I stated the obvious.

Dad just looked at me as the gas turned into a fog that covered the island. He took one of the vials and stabbed it into his leg. He grunted as it injected. "That hurt a little bit," he admitted as he handed me another one.

I shook my head with wide eyes. "Uh-uh. Not happening."

"You need it. You saw what happened to Rachel." He paused. "If you don't do yourself, I'll do it for you."

"Fine," I sighed. I took the vial, stuck it into the injector, and stabbed it into my leg. I held back the scream that threatened to come out. I hated shots and needles. They bugged me, and frankly, scared me.

"Good girl," Dad congratulated. "Now let's go calm some of the mayhem that is coming." He got up and started walking around.

I pulled out my walkie-talkie to maybe get some more help over here. We didn't have enough of the vaccine, but maybe.

"This is Commissioner Loeb. Come on, somebody talk to me!" he pleaded. "Come on!"

Dad looked over at me and shrugged. "I'm here," I said into the device.

"Gordon? Thank God!" Different. "What the hell is going on?"

Dad yanked the walkie-talkie out of my hand as I was about to explain. "We need reinforcements! TAC teams, SWAT, riot cops!" They began to argue.

"Gordon, there's nobody left to send in."

I took the walkie-talkie from Dad and switched it off. I hooked it back on my belt. "Dad, we're on our own." I unholstered my gun, but Batman's car flew over the river.

It stopped next to us and opened. The dark shape of a man with bat ear sort of things stepped out into the fog. It was rather eerie if you ask me. He hopped down and stood in front of us.

I kept the gun in my hand and at my side. "You're late," I mumbled.

He just looked at me.

"The Narrows is tearing itself to pieces," Dad stated

"This is just the beginning," he growled. "If they hit the whole city, there's nothing to stop Gotham from tearing itself apart."

"How are they gonna do that?" I wondered.

"The train." That sounded a little too simple. "The monorail follows the water mains to the main hub beneath Wayne Tower. If the machine gets to the station, it'll cause a chain reaction that'll vaporize the city's water."

"Covering Gotham in this poison," Dad and I gaped together.

"I'm gonna try to stop them from loading that train, but I may need both of you to help."

"What do you need?" I asked for both of us.

"Can you drive stick?" he said as he handed Dad the key to his incredibly awesome car.

"Why can't I drive?" I whined.

He tossed me this funky suit. "Because I need you to help with the train."

I turned it over in my hands. "What is this?"

"It's one of their suits. You have combat skills?"

"You should know, you read my file?" I retorted under my breath, but Dad heard it. He elbowed me in the stomach. I grunted. "Yeah, I do. Pretty decent if I don't say so myself."

"Exactly why I need you," he stated. "These men are highly trained in combat, and I need to take care of their leader, which means someone has to take out his pawns." He tossed me a sword. "Get changed, and I'll help you."

I sighed and pulled off my shirt. "If you don't mind!"

Dad and Batman turned around as I began peeling clothing off and replacing it with this funky black suit. It was rather uncomfortable.

"So what I'm doing with your car?" Dad asked.

"I need you to drive to Wayne Tower. There should be some supports for the monorail at the bottom by the tower," Batman explained. "The Tumbler's navigation system all ready has it programmed that once you get there you will automatically go to the weapons system. From there, shoot out the supports."

"That simple, huh?" Dad wondered sarcastically as he turned the key over in his hand.

I wrapped my pants and shirt up. I tossed them into the Tumbler. "I'll get 'em later," I promised Batman. I laughed. "So what's this stuff?" I asked about the hard plate and some other weird things.

He took them from me and strapped them on me. "It'll do." He pulled the gas mask over my face.

I held up my gun. "Will I need this?"

He shook his head. "They'll have it gone by the time you get it up."

I tossed it onto the pile of clothes that lay in the passenger seat. "Let's go."

Batman and I began to walk off. "Careful, Gordon, she's a little sensitive." I looked over at the man/bat that I had just fully trusted my life with. He was determined.

"I guess I trust you," I mumbled as I followed him into the fog of toxin.

**Okay, I figured out how to split it into two chapters. So hopefully, I'll be able to finish this up tomorrow even though I have school. I'm gonna try to get this part at least finished up before I take a little break, well maybe. This story is like taking up all my brain, so maybe no break. =D lol. Hope that this was good. Review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello all! I'm writing from school. I cannot promise very often updates, but I will try my hardest to keep up with this story. I think this will be the last chapter for **_**Batman Begins**_**, and then I will have a bridge chapter between movies. You know, set up of MCU. =D gotta have that! **

**Rae—Thanks for noticing that. You have no idea how hard it is to keep in line with it. It's surprisingly hard, I'm finding. LOL**

**Hannah—Yeah, I'm not happy about here today, but I'm here. =( I wish that I could have just stayed at home and slept. LOL Good luck with school tomorrow. We have to run a mile tomorrow in PE…..=( I don't like running LOL Oh well. Here's the update.**

**Jousting Elf—What turn are you talking about? I don't really pay attention to what I write; it just comes out. Then I read it over again, and if I don't like it, I rewrite it. That's just me though. So you must tell.**

**Johanna—Well, I hope that I captured Bruce's suaviness…if that's actually a word. Gotta tell me if I didn't get his character right. I think I got close, but I'm not sure.**

**Tasha—I'm glad that you like it. Don't worry, there will be a few more romance scenes, and watch what you're writing. LOL See ya tomorrow!**

**Here is the chapter. Hope you like it.**

I followed Batman down the streets of the Narrows. Honestly, I was scared. I didn't know who these people were that I was up against, and I hadn't used my martial arts stuff since I was training. I pretty much relied on my gun. I wondered if it was that man that was at Bruce's party, and his men. He did seem kind of sinister, but I didn't want to let that affect me. I reached back and pulled out the sword and messed around with it, just to get a feel for what I was going to be using. I looked over at the towering black figure that stood next to me, and for a second, I was scared witless of this guy. I took a deep breath and gained courage to ask what I was actually going to be doing. Yeah, I still didn't exactly know what the plan was. I cleared my throat and he looked down at me. "What exactly am I doing again?"

He really wasn't that much taller than me, but just his presence made me feel small. "I want you to go to the train. Just blend in and do exactly what he says."

I cut in. "Who's he?"

He looked at me blankly. It was a cold stare.

I shrunk away. "Sorry. I was just wondering." I smiled; it was small and shy. "So then what?" I brought the conversation back to where it was supposed to be going.

"Hopefully, their leader will be in a different car, which is where I'll be. I want you to take out his men."

It sounded so much simpler than it probably would be. "You make it sound so easy!"

"I hope that it is, but they are very well trained," he reassured, sort of. He looked at me with dark eyes. He saw my uncertainty. "You'll do fine."

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks."

We continued walking. The fog seemed to be getting thicker. I coughed from the stuffiness. "Can I take this mask off till we get there?"

He nodded shortly.

I was surprised that no one was coming to bother us, but I soon saw why. There was woman and a boy that reminded me of Jimmy. I just stood there and stared. I didn't think that it was Jimmy, but I couldn't move to find out. I was just frozen. It didn't even seem like I could blink.

Batman placed his hand on my back. "It's not him." How could he always read my mind? "I'm gonna help them, but you need to keep moving." He gave me a little push.

I was forced forward by his hand, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the little boy and that girl. That girl I suddenly realized was Rachel Dawes. She couldn't seem to stay away from trouble, but none of the good guys could these days.

"Don't look back," he growled.

I walked on, leaving Batman, a man that I had learned to trust with my life, behind. I obeyed his command and didn't look back, not once. I was focusing so much on the task at hand. It was going to be difficult, but he trusted me to do it, and I wasn't going to let him down. I came to where they were and pulled the mask over my face. I was, thankfully, about the same height as most of them, but I sure hoped that the leader, whoever he may be, didn't do a head count. If he did, I was screwed. I nodded to the other men as they saw me approaching. I looked over the men; there were about ten. I sighed. This was not going to be easy, but hopefully Batman would help out with that.

The man from Bruce's party was observing a couple men moving this machine thing over to us. He was tossing orders around with his cane tossed over his shoulder. He looked completely calm about what he was about to do. I clenched my fists, but I tried to keep my cool about this. I couldn't let them know about who I was. Ropes dropped from the train above; two of the men grabbed the ropes and carefully wrapped them around the machine that was obviously causing the vaporization of the water in the mains.

"Raise it up," the man that I think was Ra's al Ghul ordered.

They obeyed and the machine was hoisted into the train car.

"Men, let the destruction begin," he smirked.

Thankfully, Batman came sort of swooping in. "It ends here."

"For you and the police, maybe," he cooed. "My fight, however, lies with the rest of Gotham." For a sinister, evildoer, he was rather charming. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a city to destroy."

I stared at Batman with terrified eyes as I was pulled up to the train on a rope. There was no way I could beat all of his men. There was just no possible way. He nodded to me in reassurance as I rose further.

"I can't beat two of your pawns?" I couldn't tell if it was a threat or an insult.

"As you wish," al Ghul smiled as about three or four of them dropped down to fight Batman. I would have personally preferred less, but what could I do? He helped me the most he could, and I was certainly thankful.

I watched as Batman fought them. I sat in the train, and kept silent. It seemed to be a general thing that all of them did. I waited for a while, and as I waited, my mind wandered. I wondered how Dad was doing. He wasn't that great of a driver, and since it was rather sensitive, I wondered if he was going to make it. I smiled under my mask, but then my mind wandered to Bruce Wayne. I was almost sure that he wasn't Batman, but his conversation with Ra's al Ghul made me wonder. I couldn't get Bruce's smile out of my head. When he saw me, he just looked so happy. It was rather entertaining actually, but it was all disrupted by Batman; physically and mentally. Just as he burst into al Ghul's car, he turned around and nodded at me.

Go time. I stood up, but they were faster. They had all ready gotten to their feet and were closing around me. They didn't need their swords, and I decided that I wasn't going to use mine unless I actually needed to. I pulled off the gas mask and facemask and let my hair fall around my shoulders. Normally I hated my hair not pulled back, but now, it was important to me that they knew I was a girl. Besides, I didn't have time to pull it back. "You fellas ready to get your butts kicked by a girl!?" It was mostly to boost my confidence, but maybe to intimidate them a little bit. The fights began.

Batman wasn't really fighting, but I could see some tension that would turn into a fight; it did. I looked over for a second, and I got socked in the face. Okay, now I was getting serious. I just began kicking butt. I don't think I could ever do what I pulled off again. I was like, surprised to say it, but like Batman. I took out all of those guys. I was impressed. I dusted off my hands as I looked at several men lying unconscious on the floor. I turned around to see Batman on the floor, pinned downed by al Ghul. This guy had to be really good. I cautiously stepped over to his car. Neither noticed.

"…afraid, Bruce," al Ghul soothed.

I stood there as I had come in on a part of the conversation that I didn't want to hear. I brushed it off as a hit to the head that was making me hear things. I was thinking about Bruce and I got hit in the head. That's what it was. Batman was not Bruce Wayne, right? No! I moved forward.

"You're just an ordinary man in cape," he ridiculed. "That's why you couldn't fit injustice."

I had drawn my sword and was right behind al Ghul. Batman looked up to me with hopeful eyes, and when I stared into them, I could see Bruce. Now I was seeing things. Great. I held my sword poised over al Ghul's neck. I held my breath and noticed the sword jammed into the breaking system.

"And that's why you can't stop this train." I could tell that he was pressing down on Batman's neck, and that he was getting close to unconsciousness.

I pressed the sword down on his neck. It wasn't hard enough to injure him, but there was just enough pressure to show that I was there. "Who said anything about stopping it?"

He turned around to face me. His eyes were filled with shock, as he looked deep into mine. I didn't know what he could see, but I knew that he had never been beaten, or put at sword edge, by a woman. He was not happy. He took the blade of the sword and slammed it into my stomach.

It wasn't enough to knock me out, but it was enough to throw me back with the wind incredibly thrown out of me. It hurt. He had a lot of strength beneath the velvet suit and charm. I lay on the metal floor with my hands on my stomach, trying to get my breath back.

"You never learned to mind your surroundings," Batman hissed as the support gave way and fell to the ground.

I smiled because I knew that Dad had done his job.

"Have you finally learned to do what is necessary?" al Ghul interrogated smoothly. He seemed at peace with whatever was going to happen.

"I won't kill you," Batman explained as he blew out the back of the car, "but I don't have to save you." He grabbed me. As we flew out, I saw Ra's al Ghul's eyes fill with terror, but he smiled as he came at peace with what was going to happen.

I clutched tightly to Batman as we glided over Gotham. I was scared senseless, and despite my best efforts, I don't think I succeeded at not showing it. He dropped me off next to Dad.

He nodded to both of us. "Good job." He flew off into the night. He was our faithful companion and savior.

I smiled, knowing that Gotham was in the safe hand of Batman.

**Well, I don't think that it was that great, but I don't have time to fix it. I hope that you guys like it. Please review! I always love reading what you have to say. I was thinking I was gonna be done with **_**Batman Begins**_**, but then I remembered the very ending scene. How could I forget? So I'll write a short little chapter about that, and hopefully, I'll be able to get it up tomorrow. Sorry that the fight thing wasn't that great, but I'm not really good with that. Please review, and tell me how I did! Wish me luck on my mile tomorrow! I'm gonna need it! Till next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, I'm hoping that this is the going to be the last chapter for **_**Batman Begins**_**, but with my luck, I'll forget a scene. I don't think I have, so I will leave you with this for the first part of Gotham Knights.**

**IluvOdie—I don't think I've heard from you before, and I'm assuming that you like it, so thanks. Well, I was sorta trying to make Alex an ***kicker. =P Glad that you picked up on that. **

**Charlie—Well, I'm glad that you like it. Thank for always complimenting. I'm glad that somebody liked the fight scene. I didn't think that it was that good. Not enough detail perhaps. IDK though. I'm not very good at action scenes. I hope that you like this chapter, too.**

**Hannah—Well, it's probably fine, but I wasn't really sure when I was writing it. About Bruce & Rachel, wait and see. I'm not gonna say! ;) It's all a secret. If you couldn't tell, I'm trying to keep you reading. LOL **

**Lady Slone—I don't understand French, but I figured it out! Thank you!!! I figure that since I didn't get any helpful criticism from you (no offense), I did good. The only reason why I say that is because you're the only one that's offered that. So I think I did well. =)**

**Vertigirl—I'm glad that you liked it sooooo well. Remember, she doubts that Bruce really is Batman. So I'm not gonna say. It all works out though. LOL =P**

**Jousting Elf—Oh! I get it now. Well, I'm glad that you liked it. Hope you enjoy this one too! **

**SurferGirl—Well, I'm glad that you like it even though it follows the story. I thought it would be a fun twist, and there will be a non-movie following part, don't worry. I just thought that it would be fun to see what I could do with it! =) **

**Well, apparently I did good on the last chapter, so let's hope that this one will be just as good. Only problem, it will be rather short. You've seen that scene; only 45 seconds long. To make up for that, I will add another scene. Hope that you like it!**

The next morning I walked into work and sighed. Crane was still on the loose, along with half of the inmates. Still, we got half. They were all in solitary confinement. The hospitals were mass producing the antidote for the Dad and I knew that if Batman hadn't come help, with the antidote and otherwise, Gotham would have been completely destroyed. Loeb would have none of it, and I wasn't in the mood for back talking today. He didn't like Batman, and nothing I could say would help.

Dad was sitting in Loeb's office when I walked through the doors of the elevator. I stared in wonderment. All the cheering around me seemed to be blurred. I was honestly scared for my dad, and now I was scared for myself. I was so totally going to be next because I had also helped with Batman's little escapade. That's why I assumed Dad was in there, but all the cheering around me was a little different of a story.

"Hey, Gordon, good job!" I was slapped on the back by a few different people.

"How was it working with the Batman?" one of the rookies cowered.

"Not bad," I replied, "but don't tell Loeb that." I smiled and accepted all the praise that I got for saving Gotham, sort of. My eyes eventually left Loeb's office, and we just enjoyed ourselves. The possibility of me getting fired was like completely gone. It never crossed my mind until Dad opened the door and walked out. His face was relatively blank, but he was smiling just a little bit. He jerked his head back in just a way that let me know, I was next.

My heart was beating so hard and fast as I got up and walked to Loeb's office. Dad placed his hand on my shoulder as we passed. He smiled and winked at me. I was a little quizzical about this, but I trusted my dad with everything in me, so I nodded to him and walked into Loeb's office. I closed the door behind me and crossed my arms. I put my right leg in front of my left as I leaned against the wall.

"Please, sit down," he requested. That was really different. I normally didn't have time to sit down, because he told me what he needed and I left. Simple as that.

I took a seat in a chair across from him. "What do you want?" I wasn't in the mood for games; I never really was. I let my hair down and redid it as I waited for an answer. I felt like a snotty kid sitting in the principal's office. "Sorry, Commissioner." He just looked at me. "I really am."

"You're dad put you up to this, didn't he?" He raised his eyebrow at me.

I knew that I deserved it, but I was sorry. "No, he didn't, sir. This was my own thing." I didn't have anything else to say. "Trust me, I'm sorry."

"Fine," he agreed. "I'm gonna tell you the same thing that I told your father." Not a good start. "I'm not happy with you working with the Batman, but you did save Gotham. What you did was very courageous, so I'm promoting you to Sergeant." I was about to open my mouth to say thank you, but, "Don't even start. I would promote you to Lieutenant, but I'm not quite sure, I should give you that much power yet."

I smiled and shook his hand. I walked out to be hugged by my dad. I wrapped my arms around him. "Dad, you're choking me," I gasped.

He promptly let go. "What rank?"

"Sergeant," I said proudly. I had the biggest grin on my face right then.

Dad slapped my back. "That's my girl! Never thought my daughter would almost out rank me." He walked away with a smile on his face.

That night was a different story. I wondered what my dad was doing all day, and he would just say, "Be up on the roof tonight after dark." It was the strangest thing, but once the sun had set, I walked up to the roof. I loved standing out on the roof at night, anyway because the way that Gotham was lit at night gave it a pretty, almost serene, glow. The rooftop was small though; it barely held five people. I pulled open the door and walked over to my dad, who was staring off into the depths of the city. "Hey, Dad."

He jumped. "Don't do that to your old man," he laughed as he handed me a cup of coffee.

I laughed and observed the rooftop. There was a floodlight in the center. I didn't study what was projected into the sky. It looked like a bat that was in the center of a circle of light; just like what Batman used as his signal for us at the docks. Now it all made sense. Dad had been making a signal for Batman. It was sort of a reverse thing, but it made more sense for us to have it than for him. We were the ones dealing with the crime cases. Speaking of cases! I put my cup of coffee back into Dad's hand as I dashed back down the stairs.

I threw open the door of my office as I searched for a case file that I had gotten earlier today. It would certainly fit Batman's style, and we needed as much help on it as possible. I rummaged through file and found the piece of evidence that I was looking for. I shoved it into my pocket and ran back up the stairs. I opened the door, out of breath, and grabbed the coffee from Dad as I sat on the edge of the building.

"I don't want you doing that," Dad warned.

I hated when he treated me like a little kid. "Dad, I'm fine." I rolled my eyes and watched expectantly for a black figure to swoop in. Eventually, I turned around disappointed. You would think that he would get it and come, but no.

Dad put his hand on my shoulder. "He'll come," he reassured.

"How do you know?" I doubted.

"He saved us," he pointed out. "Why wouldn't he?"

"We don't need him," I suggested.

Right then there was a knock on the metal of the bat on our floodlight. "Nice," a deep voice commented. He had decided to show up.

I got up and flipped off the light. "Couldn't find any mob bosses," I smart-mouthed.

He mostly ignored my comment, but a smile touched the corner of his lips. He turned to Dad, "Well, Sergeant?"

"Yes?" I answered absent mindedly.

He looked to my dad for answers. "Oh. It's lieutenant now. She's sergeant."

Batman nodded.

"You really started something," Dad mentioned.

"Bent cops running scared. _Hope_ on the streets," I added.

"But?" Batman filled in.

"The Narrows is lost," Dad mourned.

"And we still haven't picked up Crane, or half the inmates of Arkham that he freed," I spat. I was honestly disgusted that we hadn't gotten them yet. They couldn't have gotten that far, but apparently they had.

"We will," Batman encouraged. He had apparently seen the disappointment in my eyes. "We _can_ bring Gotham back."

I smiled my thanks.

"What about escalation?" Dad worried.

"Escalation?"

"We start carrying semiautomatics; they buy automatics," Dad gave an example.

I picked up what he was talking about. "We start wearing Kevlar; they buy armor-piercing rounds."

"And?" He looked at both of us.

"And you're wearing a mask and jumping off rooftops," Dad criticized. The look that he got was of annoyance, but also a "Good point" look.

"Now, take this guy," I offered. I pulled the evidence bag from my pocket. "Armed robbery, double homicide. Got a taste for the theatrical, like you." I looked up at him. "Leaves a calling card." I handed it over to him.

He flipped it over and stared at it. It was a Joker card. "I'll look into it." He walked to the ledge and hopped up on it.

Dad stopped him. "I never said thank you."

Batman stood on the ledge for a second and thought about it for a while. "And you'll never have to." He jumped out into midair. You could hear his wings tighten as he glided away.

I let one of the sides of my mouth form a smile, but Dad wasn't so sure. I could tell that he was smiling, but his mouth only showed it a little bit.

**Okay, it could have been a lot better, but I still think that it wasn't that bad. So here you go. Review lots, and I will have a bridge chapter up soon. Hope you all look forward to the Dark Knight. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, my lovely readers, we have concluded **_**Batman Begins.**_** I will now begin writing a few bridge chapters; you know gapping the time between the **_**Batman Begins **_**and **_**The Dark Knight.**_** Now, I have to congratulate all of the people that were involved in TDK because they won 5 People's Choice Awards last night! So "Congrats, you guys! It was amazing!" I doubt that any of them will read this, but just in case. =) lol **

**Hannah—Yeah, I'm excited/nervous for the Joker. I've a few ideas, but I don't know how I will add him in other than what the movie depicts. Concerning Alex and Bruce, I'm not saying anything, not even about the fact that she knows that he's Batman. I'm not going to give it away! MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You'll find out. =P Patience**

**Lady Slone—At least you have the ability to speak in other languages! I can speak a teeny-tiny bit of Irish and a little bit more Spanish, but just the minimum to survive. I'm sorry that you're sick. Hope that you feel better! Okay, what did you suggest with Newton's Law. We just finished something in Science about Newton's Law so everything is starting to mesh together. O.o Thank you! I think that adding people into movies is really hard. I'm surprised I've done so well so far. It was kind of difficult. Get better!**

**Jousting Elf—I'm glad that you liked it. Yeah, she gets promoted again, but I'm not gonna say when or why. You must read. I get the "just one step up" thing too. It's annoying. I, too, am considered really mature for my age. I pretty much only hang out with adults, unless I'm at school. LOL I think it's an intelligence thing. Most people that write on here are smart.**

**Johanna—All I have to say is "Dun dun Duh!" LOL **

**Charlie—Thank you very much! I was really frustrated that it wouldn't be good, because I had a really good one at school, but I sent the wrong copy back to my house!!! It was really annoying!**

**Pianoplayeres—I'm glad that you like it! Am I really that annoying? I think you're joking, but I can't tell. Here's the next chapter!**

**Okay. Here's the chapter. Wish me luck because I think that this might be horrible!**

The morning sun found me in the sort of sleeping room at the precinct. I rolled over and squinted at the bright light that was urging me to get out of bed. I looked at the clock on the wall: 6:15. I groaned and rolled to face the wall. I squished the pillow on my head to block out the light. I couldn't believe that I had spent another night here. I reluctantly got out of the lower bunk and threw my oxford shirt on, but I didn't button it. I pulled hair back up after I had let it down for the night. I opened the door to my office and grabbed my duffle bag with workout stuff in it. I looked down at the file, whose contents were strewn across my desk, and remembered what I had been doing all night. I swore that that Joker character was no good for this city. This was one of those psychopaths that wouldn't stop until the entire city was in shambles. Just we needed, but no matter how hard I dug, I couldn't find anything on him.

I shook my head and went down to the gym level. I got changed into a tank top with black basketball shorts. I knew that I was going to need this workout today. I grabbed my iPod and attached it to my arm with its armband. I selected my rock music and walked out into the gym. I wasn't the only one, but pretty dang close. There were maybe four other guys in here. It was early enough that we didn't really talk anyway. I had finished the weight machines when one of the guys challenged me to spar him. I looked at him blankly. Just the other night, I had been working with the Batman and he knew that, but okay.

We got to the ring, sort of, and I pulled on my gloves. I shook my head at this. I knew it wasn't going to end well when he said no gloves. One of us was going to be unhappy, and I don't think it was going to be me. We fought. It did have some adrenaline in it because he was a decent fighter. I had my foot locked around his neck, about to bring him down, when Dad walked in.

"We need to go," was all I got.

"Dad, I'm a little busy," I pointed out.

"Joker hit again," he explained.

I cursed under my breath, and the guy that I was sparring took my moment of distraction and threw my foot from his neck and punched me in the face. "Not fair!"

"I wasn't going to beat you any other way," he laughed. He shook my hand. "You're a good fight, Sergeant Gordon." He walked to the locker rooms.

"Good job, Al," he complimented.

"Thanks." I walked to the edge of the ring and sat on the edge with my arms crossed on the elastic. "When do we need to be there?"

"Like now," he said.

"Crap," I breathed. I still needed to take a shower. "You take lead on this one. I'll meet you there."

"I am higher rank than you," he pointed out, "but this is your case."

"Dad," I reasoned, "I need a shower. Head down there, cover for me, and I'll be there in like fifteen minutes." I slid out of the ring and headed towards the locker room.

"You work to much," Dad said as I entered the locker room.

Just as I had promised, fifteen minutes later I was speeding down the highway on my motorbike with my shirt unbuttoned and my wavy, wet hair flow in the wind. It needed to dry, which meant I wasn't wearing a helmet, like I normally did. Oh well, I told myself. I needed to get this Joker behind bars. I pulled up to the bank where the Joker had hit again. I pushed the kickstand down with my foot and walked up. My wet hair circled my shoulders, making my shirt wet. I was stopped at the door. I showed my badge and they let me pass so I could follow this stupid case.

I walked through the rubble. There were a few bodies here and there, but what disturbed me the most was the exploded body. You could see a few distinguishing bits about him, but not much. Some family was going to be devastated. I looked around at the destruction that had been caused. Desks were overturned and glass was shattered from what appeared to be bullets. I could see plastic ties by the counter where the people had been held hostage. Whoever this guy was, he meant business; whatever that might mean. He was insane. I followed the trail of rubble to the safe, where most of the money was gone.

"I can't believe this, Dad," I mourned. "Whoever this clown is, he has a sick horrible mind."

Dad turned around. He nodded.

I looked at the pathetic amount of money. He had cleaned it out. "Dad, what happened to the man in the lobby?"

"The Joker had put grenades in the hostages' hands and pulled the pins," he explained. "One of them tried to be brave."

I put up my hand in dismissal. "I get it."

Dad frowned. "And I thought that Crane was bad." It was supposed to be a joke, but it did have truth to it. We all thought that Crane was going to be the death of this city, but this Joker character seemed to be a close second, if not first.

I nodded in agreement. My phone rang. "Sergeant Gordon." I waited in silence as an officer explained to me a very dismal situation.

"Sergeant, apparently some of the rapists that were let out of Arkham have kidnapped children from one of the elementary school, while many houses were robbed and families were killed."

Damn. "Just now?"

"In the past hour or so."

I ran my hand through my still wet hair and pulled back into a ponytail. "What's the status?"

"We have the men that robbed the homes and murdered families at central holding."

"Good," I approved. "What about the rapists and the children?"

There was silence on the line. "We don't know where they are, Ma'am."

"Are you kidding me?!" I yelled into the phone.

Dad was staring at me. "Alex, is everything all right?"

I nodded my head.

"No, Ma'am, I'm not kidding," he answered tentatively, "but we do have a possibility of where they are."

"Why aren't you down there?"

"We were told to give the case to you," he explained, "but we are down there."

I sighed. Could this town get any more discombobulated than it all ready was? "Where is it?"

"Down by the docks." Of course, it was.

"Where?"

"By the Narrows." Gee, that helped.

"I'll be down there in ten minutes," I agreed.

Dad raised his eyebrows from behind his glasses. "What's going on, Alex?"

I walked out the door. I needed to get to the docks.

"Alex?!" he called after me. He apparently ran to meet me and grabbed my arm. "If you don't tell me, I'll…"

"You'll what?" I back mouthed.

He clenched his teeth. "What's going on?"

I stared him in the eyes. "Does it matter?"

"I don't want you to get hurt," he worried.

"I'll be fine," I assured as I walked out of the bank, leaving my dad standing admist the rubble. I got on my bike and revved the engines.

"Where's your helmet?" Dad warned. Always the worried parent.

I shook my head and sped off towards the docks.

**Sorry that there's a lot of dialogue, but it was a little hard without it. Also, I'm sorry that it took forever to post, but I was having a little bit of difficulty trying to think something up. So here it is! The wonderful first bridge between **_**Batman Begins **_**and **_**The Dark Knight**_**! Hope it is all you were wanting! Enjoy and review!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, more bridge stuff. **

**Lady Slone—Wow! Three languages: impressive! I'm so confused about the Newton's Law thing, so no more unless you decide to completely explain to me what it is. I'm glad that you're feeling better. I'm not saying that there will be more Alex/Bruce, but maybe ;) Can't wait to watch the Golden Globes. Too bad it's only up for like one or two nominations =(**

**Johanna—Thank you for liking it! I thought that it was going to be crap. Let's hope that this will be just as good.**

**Naomi—Glad that you like it! I understand the business! School can be a pain. No Dark Knight yet. Sorry. Here's more! LOL**

**Hannah—Who are you referring to needing a nap? I think it might actually be me, but I'm not sure. LOL **

**Here's more of her new case. **

I rode around the docks for about five minutes before finally seeing where the group of sirens was. Couldn't the guy be more specific? Apparently not. I stopped by one of the rear cars and shut off the engine. I pulled my now dry hair back into the hair tie that was always on my wrist. I walked up to one of the SWAT men that I was a rather close friend with. He was about four inches taller than me with light brown hair cut closely to his head, but there was just enough to mess with. He had a boyish face that seemed to always have this smirk on it. He was always so serious when he was at a site. I was always bugging him to loosen up. We were like siblings.

"Hey, Martin," I greeted.

He turned his head around, but still managed to keep one eye on the building. "Hey, Al."

"What's going on?" I wondered. "Why aren't we going in?"

The apparent leading officer walked up to me. "Hello, Sergeant. We are awaiting your order to go in."

"Are we sure that they're in there?" I interrogated.

"Yes," he affirmed.

I ran my hand down my ponytail in frustration. "If you know that they're in there, ask the next frickin' highest ranking officer!" I stuck my open palm at Martin to show that he was there. "What the heck were you thinking?" I screamed at the patrolmen.

He backed away slowly.

Martin put his hand on my arm. "Easy, Alex," he soothed. "It'll be all right. We can go in now."

I nodded to Martin and the officer as I unhostered my gun. "Let's do this." I headed towards the building.

Martin and his team ran in ahead of me. They kicked down the locked door and burst into the empty warehouse with their guns level and ready to fire. I walked into the warehouse where Martin and his men were dropping their guns to their wastes. There was nothing there. One mouse, or rat I couldn't tell, scurried across the floor in obvious annoyance to our intrusion. I stuck my gun back into its holster and put my hands on my hips. I immediately walked back out of the dusty warehouse to find our little friend that had reported it.

He was standing by his patrol car on his phone. He was talking away to someone that was unknown.

I stomped up to him and grabbed his phone. I stuck it to my ear. "He's gonna have to call ya back." I snapped it shut and shoved it in his face. "Reporting back to the mob, huh?" I was not in a good mood.

"No, not at all!" He put up his hands defensively. "It wasn't like that."

I calmed myself down. "Then explain it to me."

He noticed my change of mood and loosened up. His eyes were still filled with fear. "Some random guy said that he'd pay me 10 Gs if I called you off the bank case." He stared at me, waiting for my reaction.

"You're lucky I don't get you fired." I turned away and pulled out my phone. I pressed 1 on the speed dial and waited for my dad to pick up.

"Gordon."

"Dad," I said urgently, "what's going on at the bank?"

There was silence. "Nothing. Why?"

I sighed. "I was called off on a wild goose chase so someone could get at the bank."

I could hear him sighing as I pictured him pushing his glasses up on his nose and running a hand through his graying brown hair. "There was a threat, but nothing happened."

"Good. I'm coming back." I hung up and walked to my bike.

"Everything all right?" Martin asked as he walked up to me.

I shrugged. "As all right as it can get in Gotham." I smiled.

He clapped my shoulder. "Go serve Gotham, Al. It needs you."

I smiled. "It needs you too." I pulled the kickstand up and revved the engine. I sped out of the docks back to the bank.

I was about half way to the bank at a stoplight when another biker revved his engines. I couldn't see who it was, but I needed some fun today. I nodded and revved my engines.

The light turned green and we peeled out of there. He was, unfortunately, faster than me because he had a better bike than me. I was able to gain on him a little bit on the turns and he just barely beat me to the next light. I laughed at him. I waved to show that it was a good race. I was about ready to turn the corner when my opponent pulled off his helmet. He was laughing.

"Bruce?"

**Okay, sorry it was a little shorter. Because so many people want more Bruce/Alex I'll give you some next chapter. I will introduce Harvey and the Joker in later chapters. Yeah, there will be major interaction there. I'm hoping that it goes as I planned. I may have to bump up the rating for later chapters (no sex stuff don't worry). It's the Joker, and seriously, anything really interesting that happens with him, is not really PG, but I may be able to make it PG-13, which is where this stands now. I'm not sure though. **

**Hope that you all liked it! Review and tell me all that you think! Criticism is welcome, but please give me ideas on how to fix it. Although, compliments are most welcome. LOL =) **


	12. Chapter 12

**Before I start writing this, I want to promote another movie. I know! I just saw **_**Gran Torino**_**, and it is one of the best films I've seen in a long time. It's very powerful and touching. So, I just wanna recommend that! =) My loyalty still belongs to **_**The Dark Knight **_**of course, which leads me to my next announcement. I say congrats to Heath because he has gotten so many awards so far. They just won a Golden Globe (yes, I'm writing this as I'm watching them). So RIP Heath Ledger! 3**

**IluvOdie—Yes, there will be twists and turns all through this movie! LOL **

**Princess Stark 101—Here's chapter 12! Thank you for liking it!**

**Dragonflamecrystal—Nice, but complicated name. LOL I like it. Thank you for liking my story.**

**Jousting Elf with a Sabre—Your very welcome. I actually wasn't planning on it, but it seems that everything I see when an OC runs into the Joker, he rapes her. So I was just making that clear. LOL Well, I was working up something really amazing, but then I changed my and it was too late. LOL **

**Johanna—Of course it was! I agree. The Joker would have made things very bad. Don't worry though, he'll be included in more chapters than just the movie. **

**Hannah—The Joker will come. Patience. **

**Hayley—Gotta say, I love your name. LOL I think you just gave me the biggest compliment that anyone has on this story or any of my stories. So thank you! Thank you!!!! **

**Pianoplayer—I sorta figured that you were. Thank you for loving it, and work on your story!!! LOL I need to work on my other story actually. I think you, my musical friend, have given the most compliments. You must tell me if there is anything needing fixing on this chapter. I'm a little nervous.**

**Well, I had some new reviewers that time so thanks guys! Here's the next chapter. Letting you know, it will be a lot of fluff, which this story probably needs! LOL =) **

**So here goes. **

Bruce looked at me for a second before bursting out in laughter. He held his helmet in one hand was pointing at me. He tossed his head back as he slapped his free hand on his leg. His hair was loose from the helmet, not slicked back, and it flopped around weirdly as he laughed. His eyes were closed and it was honestly the best I had ever seen him. He just looked like he was having fun, not business-y and posh, like the Bruce that I knew. I liked this Bruce better.

"What's so funny?" I asked innocently. I really didn't know why he was laughing. As soon as stopped laughing and looked blankly at me, I knew. He was laughing at me. I felt blush rising in my cheeks. "Is it really that funny?"

He nodded. "If I had a camera, I would've taken a picture!" he smirked. "C'mon." He pulled on his helmet as the light turned green and motioned for me to follow him.

I complied. I knew that I should go back to the bank, but I wanted to enjoy this time that I was offered from Bruce.

We wound our way through the city down to a little coffee shop at the edge of town. It looked as if we had ridden straight into the Narrows. I had a little bit of a bad feeling as we stopped in the parking lot. I followed Bruce into the coffee shop. We both looked out of place in our suits. I wrapped my hand around the butt of the gun.

Bruce saw my anxiety and whispered, "People don't know me here, and it makes me feel a little better. A little more private." Granted, it made sense. He was known everywhere, so he couldn't really have company without people jumping all over it. "Relax, Alex."

I took his advice and released the gun. I sighed and sat down. I leaned back in my choice chair at a random table. I knew that this was going to be a long day.

Bruce sat down across from me. "Stop worrying about your job," he noticed my distant look. "You're fine."

I nodded with my head in my hands. "I left a case for this," I smiled.

"You look exhausted," he noticed. "I'll go grab the coffee. Whadya want?"

"Just black." I pulled out a five dollar bill.

He shoved it back to me. "I'll pay."

I took it back and slid it into my pocket. "Fine." I sat there and watched him order our coffee.

He looked so normal as he stood at the counter ordering coffee. He was wearing a really expensive business suit, but I wasn't really expecting anything different. The pants were a little wrinkled from riding the bike, and his hair was still hanging loosely on his head. He held a ten in his hand as he ordered two cups of black coffee. The very bored looking teenager behind the counter said that he would say when they were up. Bruce thanked him and came back to our table. He leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms.

I smiled. "Why does Bruce Wayne, Gotham's billionaire, wanna get coffee with me on this lovely day?" I had to know. It didn't seem like we should be hanging out, but he was Batman, right? _Keep your job, and any masked vigilantes out of your mind!_ I yelled at myself. I didn't want to let my job interfere with this coffee opportunity.

He smiled back at me. It was sort of crooked, but I liked it. "You intrigue me."

"B-S," I scoffed. I laughed and raised my eyebrows.

"No really!" he defended. "You really do!"

I shook my head, laughing. "How?"

He thought about for a second. "You have fun, I guess."

"You don't have fun?" I asked incredulously. I didn't believe it. How could he not have fun?

"Well," he thought, "not really."

"You go out partying like every night," I pointed out laughing.

He nodded. "Yeah, but I hate parties."

"Really?" I awed. My jaw dropped.

He nodded with his chin in his hand. He laughed.

"I would have—," I was cut off by my phone ringing. I picked it up. "Gordon." I smiled my apologies to Bruce.

"Alex, where the Hell are you?!" my dad yelled from the other line.

I flinched. "Easy, Dad," I soothed into the phone.

"Don't tell me that!" he yelled. "You said that you were on your way back to the bank!"

I pulled the phone away from my ear as he continued to rant about me not being there. I rolled my eyes and laughed at Bruce's expression of shock. The bored teen brought over our coffee. Took long enough.

Finally Dad shut up and I could talk to him. "I ran into an old friend, Dad."

"Who?" he asked on the end of the line.

"It was one of the guys." Clever: lie without actually lying. "He was in town, and we ran into each other. We decided to get coffee."

I heard him sigh. "You couldn't do this over dinner?" he yelled.

"His flight leaves later today," I lied.

I think Dad knew that I was lying because he allowed me to stay as long as I took the cases for the rest of the day. He hung up.

I slid the phone back into my pocket and took a sip of my coffee. "Thank you, Bruce," I said as I set the cup back down.

He smirked. "Don't mention it."

I set one of my arms on the table. "Tell me, why do you go to all these parties if you don't like them?"

"It a reputation thing," he explained. "I wanna seem like the typical trust fund snob."

I was confused. "But you're not!" I protested. "Just talking to you now, I know that you're not a snob in anyway." Maybe it was a disguise to cover up for the fact that he was Batman. It made sense, but the fact that he had like three different personalities didn't.

"I know, but only three people know that," he explained.

"I'm sorry. You don't have that many friends, then, do you?" I wondered.

He shook his head. "No, not really." He lowered his head as he took a sip of coffee.

My phone rang again. I cursed under my breath. I was surprisingly enjoying myself. "Gordon."

Bruce smiled. "I understand," he whispered as he put his hand on mine.

I listened to the scared officer tell me that there was a mob shooting at a day care center. I didn't want to hear that. "I'm on my way," I told him. He told me the directions and I hung up. I grabbed my coffee and a lid for it as I headed out. "Bruce, I'm soooo sorry that I have to leave, but duty calls."

He nodded and got up too. "It's okay, Alex," he assured.

We headed outside and threw our legs over our bikes.

"It really was nice talking to you," Bruce smiled. "Those ditzes that I go out with don't talk about anything but themselves. It was nice to have a normal conversation with someone smart." He smirked as he pulled his helmet on and headed off to somewhere I didn't know.

I was honestly flattered by him. I really still liked him, even if he was Batman, even if he was the poorest man in the world. I turned on my bike and carefully balanced my coffee in my hand as I headed to my next crime scene.

**I'm sooooooooooooo sorry that it has taken so long to post this. It's harder than you think. I hope that you like it, and I hope that my next chapter won't take so long to put up. I really am sorry. Please review and tell me if I can actually write this sorta stuff, and tell me if I captured Bruce's character. I don't think that I did, but it's kinda hard. **

**Again, I'm sorry, and I hope that it never takes me this long again. Please review!!!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Jousting Elf—Thanks for reviewing, again! Yeah, I thought that it would be a different twist from most stories. Here's more!**

**Princess Stark101—Of course, he laughs. Doesn't everyone? LOL I thought that I more relaxed side of Bruce would be good. **

**Johanna—I'm glad that the chapter rocked! I agree about the Day Care Center (I couldn't think of anything else to do, but I think I should have done something else). Yeah, I think that Bruce as a normal guy needed to be seen, at least at one point in the story. **

**Pianoplayer—I'm glad that it's awesomeness! I didn't think that it would be, but people seem to like it a lot.**

**Okay, I'm gonna start covering more time faster, because I think that it's time I hit the Dark Knight. So there will be like three or more chapters left of the bridge between chapters. Also for the Alex/Bruce lovers, no more romance until the Dark Knight. Sorry! **

I walked back into the precinct with two men in cuffs in front of me. I was pushing them to our central holding. They hadn't really gone far from the scene, which made my job easier. They hadn't really spoken, but I had caught tid-bits from their arguments. What I had caught was that they were in it for the money and glory. The mob had apparently hired these two dipwads to go shoot something up to make a point, and they needed money. Gosh, did people think anymore? Being in the mob was just as bad as being in a gang, if not worse. So many people got hurt, but luckily not this time. All of the children were all in a different room than the one that got shot up. The only person that had gotten hurt was a supervisor that was closing the blinds; she had been hit with just a piece of glass.

I threw one of the punks into a holding cell. "Hey! What are you gonna do?" he yelled through the bars as I dragged the other to an interrogation room. I shoved him down in the seat across from me. I spun the seat around as I sat down.

The guy trembled a little bit.

"Do you want some water?" I asked kindly.

The guy nodded.

I got up and headed out of the room. I leaned over and whispered to the officer in the room, "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid?"

He nodded.

I stared at him quizzically, wondering if he was from the mob. It was definitely a possibility in this precinct, this town.

"I'm not from the mob," he answered.

"If he's not here when I get back," I threatened, "I'm taking your badge," I glanced at his nametag, "Johnson."

He nodded brusquely and allowed me to leave to get water.

I went to the vending machine and stuck a dollar in to get a single bottle of water. I grabbed the bottle and walked back into the interrogation room. Thankfully, he was still there. I nodded my thanks as I passed Johnson. I opened the bottle and set on the table for him. I sat down across the table.

He messed with it in his hands and looked over it. Apparently, the officer had uncuffed him, which I was fine with.

I knew that he was attempting to look for anything harmful. "Look," I said, "I just got that out of the vending machine, and what good would it do me to poison you anyway?"

He still wasn't willing to do it. He pushed it over to me.

I took a big swallow of it and passed it back. "See? You're fine."

He took three long swallows of the liquid and sat the bottle on the desk. He leaned back with an evil smile on his face. He was proud of what he'd done.

"So, can I at least know you're name?" I asked with my arms crossed on the desk.

He smirked.

"Okay," I smiled. "If you won't tell me who you are, tell me who hired you for this 'job.'"

Silence.

"Tell me, or I'll get you're friend to," I threatened. Gosh, I hated people that thought I wasn't going to get information about them. I wasn't just a "good" cop; I had a mean streak, especially when somebody pissed me off. "Tell me!" I raised my voice.

He jumped a little bit, but still didn't talk.

Fine, if that's how he wanted to play. I put the handcuffs back on him, tightly, and dragged him out of the interrogation room.

"Hey! That's assault!" he yelled as I dragged him.

"Shut up!" I ordered.

"I thought you wanted me to talk," he defended.

"I do, but you're not," I shot back. I pushed him into a different interrogation room with no one in there. I shoved him, locked the door and went to get the other kid. This wasn't my day.

I was going to be nicer to the younger kid. He was scared, and maybe if I was nice, he would talk. I uncuffed him as I led him to the interrogation room.

He was shivering, or trembling. I didn't think that this was his idea.

"What's your name?" I smiled so that I didn't sound frightening.

He managed to crack a smile. "B-bi-billy," he stuttered. Not a name I would have expected; the kid was wearing Levis with a t-shirt. He looked like a pretty decent guy that had made a mistake.

"Billy," I smiled, "how old are you?"

"Seventeen," he drawled. It sounded like he was from a place like Texas.

"Why did you shoot up that day care center?"

His eyes got kind of watery. "It wasn't my idea! My little brother was in there!" He took a deep breath. "I didn't even touch the gun." He seemed pretty upset about this. I thought that I maybe saw a tear. "My brother didn't get hurt, did he?"

"No," I soothed. "Billy, who told you to do this?"

"I don't know!" he exclaimed. "It was all Jason's idea!" He threw his hands up in the air.

I nodded. "Thanks, Billy." I walked to the door of the interrogation room. I looked at Johnson. "Let him go. He has no idea what's going on."

"How do you know?"

I looked over my shoulder. "Look at him, he's terrified." Billy was sobbing, and it wasn't fake. "He has no idea what's going on."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. I walked out the door and headed to the other interrogation room. I opened the door and sat down across from, who I now know was, Jason. "So tell me, Jason, who hired you for this."

His eyes grew at the sound of his name.

"Yeah, Billy told me your name," I laughed.

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

I had enough of this guy. I slammed my fist on the steel table. "Tell me who hired you!" My voice echoed in the concrete room.

He finally gave in as I stared icily at him. "All right, all right!" he cowered. "It was Sal Maroni. I needed the money for some debt to pay and he told me where to shoot. Billy didn't do anything; he just drove."

I smiled. "Thank you." I yanked opened the door.

"Am I getting let out?" he called.

I turned around. "I'll let Officer Johnson deal with that. You confessed; I don't care. It wasn't your idea." I swallowed. "If I had my way, more than half of these officers would be arrested," I whispered. I closed the door behind me and went upstairs.

I strode out of the elevator and walked across the room. I saw my dad poke his head out of his paperwork and look at me. I smiled as I headed to Loeb's office. He too was doing paperwork when I stepped in. I sat down in the plush chair across from him. I cleared my throat to get his attention.

He took off his glasses and looked at me. "Yes, Gordon?"

"I need to speak with you on a very important matter," I explained.

He got up and closed the door of his office. "Do go on?"

"With all the criminals out of Arkham—" He cut me off.

"Don't remind me about that.

"Sorry, but it's going to be a problem."

He nodded. "You're point?"

"I was just going to suggest that we get a unit completely devoted to the major crimes of Gotham," I offered.

He stared at me.

"I'm just saying, things are going to get worse, and with this Joker; don't even think about; Gotham's not safe," I explained.

"Thank you, Gordon," he said. "I'll think about it." He held the door open for me.

I walked out.

**Okay, for today (when I posted this) I only had 38 hits on this story. It's kind of sad….=( Oh well, I still enjoy writing this though, so don't worry about it stopping. Hope that your weekend is well, and enjoy the three lovely days of it. I know that I will, so I will hopefully get another chapter up soon. Review please! I think that I might introduce Harvey in the next one or the next after that, but probably the next one. Happy days! LOL **


	14. Chapter 14

**Lady Slone—True, you haven't reviewed in a while, and I have missed your helpful criticisms. Really! Yeah, I'm sorry that it's not that good. Hopefully this will be better. To be honest, I didn't exactly know where I wanted to go with it. So crossing fingers that this one will be better. **

**Johanna—I know, poor Billy! LOL **

**Jousting Elf—Glad that you think that it's interesting. Hope that this one is good.**

**Naomi—Good to hear from you again! LOL * phew * I'm glad that I captured Bruce's personality. I thought it was going to be much worse. Yeah, Billy was a one-time thing, although maybe, just maybe, he'll show up again. . You will never know, until it happens. **

**Hannah—Glad that you like it!**

**PoisonVenom—That is an incredibly awesome name!! I'm glad that you like story and Alex. Means a lot. Thanks again.**

**Bmangaka—Glad that you like it. Here's more**

**Okay, here goes. I'm not sure how good it will be. Go easy, but please review.**

A few weeks later, I found myself back in my cluttered office. For once in my career life, I wasn't jammed with paperwork that didn't apply to my latest case. Unfortunately, I was still slammed with paperwork. I swore that this Joker character had more harm in his bite than his bark, and his bark was rather obnoxious. I sat in my chair reading over the ten case files that the Joker had thrown onto my desk. Well, not literally, but it was close enough. I flipped through the stills taken from the security footage. This guy was a freak, and no matter how deep I dug, I got no information. He had never been in any city, and no face recognizer could recognize his face. The make-up was the scariest. Maybe he scared the machines with it so we couldn't recognize him. I propped my feet up on my desk and laughed at my stupidity.

My phone rang against my waist. I hoped with everything that it was Dad calling, telling me to go home. He had gone home hours ago, along with most of the detectives that worked this level. I was pretty much the only one here. I glanced at the clock on my desk as I grabbed my phone. It read 10:45.

I rubbed my tired eyes as I answered. "Gordon."

"Sarg," it was Wilson's voice; the same Wilson that had taunted me for being late the day after I had back mouthed Loeb, "Joker hit another bank."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. I guess I was gonna need to make myself another cup of coffee. I grabbed the mug off my desk and headed to the coffee pot in the hall. "You have to be kidding, Wilson," I whined. I poured myself another cup of the blackish brown liquid and took a long swallow from it.

The silence on the other end told me that he wasn't, but that he also didn't want to tell me the horrible truth.

I swore. "Do you need me to come down?"

"Nah," he said. "I just wanted to let you know. I'll fax the report once we get it put together."

I ran my hand down my ponytail. "All right. I'm gonna call up a good friend and see if he can help." I suddenly realized the need for Batman in these cases. He seemed to have more resources than we did, and he could quite possibly help us catch this psycho.

"Don't get yourself into too much trouble, Al," he laughed. "Wait for the fax, and see ya in the morning'." He hung up. Thank God for cops like Wilson in this town. We needed more cops like him.

I took another drink of coffee as I slid the phone back into its compartment on my waist. I walked back to my office and grabbed my coat. I had no idea how long I was going to have to wait up on the small roof of our unit. I refilled my coffee on the way up the stairs. I climbed the last flight of stairs and opened the door. I was greeted by a gust of cold wind. I flipped on the floodlight and watched the circle of light shine on the darkness. I pushed myself up onto the edge of the wall and waited. As I sipped at my coffee and pulled my jacket closer, I hoped that he would eventually show up.

Just as I was about to give up and head inside, "Sergeant."

I landed on the hard concrete and walked over. "I need your help."

He stood like a statue silhouetted by the dim street lamp in the alley behind us. "I figured that." He nodded towards the floodlight.

I figured that now that he was here, I could probably turn off the lamp. I pulled the lever down, and the only real light that we had died away. "The Joker hit again tonight."

He nodded. "I saw the sirens."

"You didn't make a scene, did you?" I wondered.

I got a low and gravelly chuckle from him. "No, but I wonder why I find you here, and not there."

Fully valid question. "The officer that's running the case is on our side, and he said that he didn't need me. He just wanted to let me know."

He nodded in understanding. "So, Sergeant, what exactly do you need or want?"

I sighed. "I think that it would a good thing if we could somehow track the money. I don't know how yet, but if he is working for the mob, or drug dealers, we could arrest them on probable cause and test the money." I thought that it was rather genius, but his silence had me doubting myself.

After a few minutes, I could tell that it wasn't my idea that had him silent, it was the wheels in his head. Even in the dim light, I could almost see them spinning.

I, myself, began to think about how it would be possible. I knew that this was wrong, but if it worked for the bad guys, why not us? "Here's a suggestion: you know the drug dealers sometimes lace their drugs with their own little thing to make it their own."

He caught on fast. "Lace the money with something."

I smiled. "Exactly." Next problem, "What do we lace it with?"

Again, he pondered. "I wouldn't use a drug, because that's just a disaster waiting to happen."

"Agreed." I yawned. Gosh, I was tired. I pulled the hair tie out of my hair and put it on my wrist. My wavy, dark brown hair fell to my shoulders. Yeah, it was different than what I would normally do, but I felt comfortable around him, despite his dark battiness. "Is there anything that wouldn't be a disaster waiting to happen?" I drank some more of my coffee.

He looked at it ravenously.

I held the cup out to him. "Want some?"

He shook his head. The wheels in his head began to spin again.

I waited. I was exhausted, and my brain was done working for the day. I leaned against the wall and looked at my watch. I couldn't read it in the dim light, so I pressed the light button: 11:15. I really should call it a night, but there was something, didn't know what, that kept me awake. Something that wouldn't let me go home.

He finally spoke. "I can't think of anything right now." He walked the edge of the roof. "I will be back with an answer, and hopefully a solution."

I turned around. "I just hope that this works." I stared into the void where our signal had just been. I heard a whoosh and spun around. He was gone. Typical. I walked back down the stairs to my level. I checked the fax machine, flipped through the pictures, stuck it into a file, and tossed it onto my desk. I turned off the desk lamp and computer and headed home.

**Okay, it's a little shorter than I would have liked, also I was going to introduce Harvey in this chapter, but no. That'll have to be next chapter. Review and hopefully, I'll get another chapter up tonight, possibly tomorrow. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Johanna—LMAO That's good & soooo very true. I love it! It obviously made me laugh. Yes, he is a little batty, and does tend to disappear. Nice, quote Gordon. Yes, I picked that up.**

**Sabre—I guess that you figured that out. . lol Hope that you don't mind. I'm glad that you liked it. Yeah, I hate being tired to. You sorta get used to it to it, thought. Or at least, I have. Here's more.**

**Hannah—I'm sorry that they are short, and hope that this will be longer. I really do. I'm glad that they are good nonetheless. **

**MasqueradeWitch—I'm glad that you think that it's good. Knowing Alex, I don't think that she'd accept any crap from the other cops for being Gordon's daughter. Yeah, I think that the interaction is good between Batman and Bruce. Tell me what you think about her and Harvey.**

**Okay, we will, and I mean it, get Harvey in this chapter. Harvey lovers beware, Alex has strong opinions. I hope that this comes out the way I had planned. Also, we're coming in a couple months or so after the last chapter. My apologies. Nothing really that interesting in there.**

I never thought that Loeb would actually take my suggestion into consideration, but here I stood for the second week in our new unit: MCU (major crimes unit). We pretty much took all the big cases, and the main one was the Joker. I was pretty much the main officer on that one because I had been with it since the beginning. Since I had last really talked to Batman, we had more files come in here than we knew what to do with, and my office (which was thankfully bigger) was filled with all the case files from him. The Joker was so time consuming that Dad took all the other cases that came in, along with a few other detectives that worked there. The bat-signal had, of course, been moved to the roof of our new building, which was also a lot roomier. Batman had faithfully come back with a solution to tracking the bills: lace them with an almost untraceable amount of radiation. There wasn't enough to harm enough anybody, but just enough to be traced with a device that he had given to Dad and I; of course, he had one too.

Today would hopefully be our lucky day because we would get to see if he really was giving the money to the mob. We had been following their accounts, and one of their accounts had been growing increasingly since the robberies. We had probable cause, and we were going to see if they did actually have the money that the Joker had been stealing from the bank. Dad wished me luck as I climbed into the driver's seat of my new cop car. I smiled as we headed out.

I followed the convoy of cars to our bust sight. When we got there, I was met by Martin, who was holding out a Kevlar vest for me. I guess, our theory about escalation was right. I accepted the vest and strapped it on. I pulled out my gun and made sure that it was loaded. I nodded to Martin, who signaled his team to head to the door. _Bang!_ The door was busted open, and I wondered why they couldn't just see if it was unlocked. I rolled my eyes and followed them in with a few officers following me. I heard them yelling "GPD!! Put your hands up!" That was a good sign; at least somebody was in there. I saw a beautiful sight, well sort of, when I walked in: about twenty mob guys sitting around with a bunch of cash. Score!

I unclipped the radiation detector off of my belt and began scanning the bills. The first couple sets were perfectly fine. Not a trace of radiation on them. I was getting discouraged, but around the sixth set of bills, I got a reaction from the detector. I motioned for Martin to come over. He let his rifle hang loosely at his waist.

"What's up?" he asked.

"We were right," I smirked. "This is the money from the banks. We got them, and if we can find the Joker, we have him too."

"We've had him since the beginning," he pointed out. "We just can't catch him."

I shrugged. "True, but at least we got these idiots." I motioned to the mobsters that were being handcuffed and led to the cars.

Unfortunately, not all of our busts went as well as we had planned. Most of the time, we had everything planned out, but when we got there, the money along with all the people were gone. Still, we got a lot of men behind bars thanks to Batman's wonderful idea for the money. We got drug dealers and mobsters. It was good to finally get some of these guys off the streets, but still, somebody had to be leaking information to them. Pretty soon, the money that the Joker was stealing was the unlaced stuff. People in our unit were closely linked with the mob. Great, just absolutely perfect.

The next week when I came into work from my apartment (yeah, amazing I know), I noticed a blonde hair, blue-eyed man standing in my dad's office. He was wearing a typical business suit with an Internal Affairs patch on the pocket. Just what we needed. He was quite perfect though. His blonde hair was brushed over to the side, but his deep-sea blue eyes had a slightly demented look. Still, he had a broad smile on his face as he shook Dad's hand. He walked out of Dad's office with a few files in his hands.

He stopped by me and stuck out his free hand for me to shake. "Sergeant Gordon, I'm Harvey Dent from IA."

I shook it. "I noticed." I nodded to his badge.

He laughed. "That's good, and I should have realized."

I smiled and tossed a concerned glance back to my dad. "So, may I ask what you're doing here? I didn't think that MCU had an internal affair."

He smiled. "Well, you and your father have raised some questions," he joked.

Not funny. I stared at him. "Watch it," I warned.

His smile diminished. "Sorry." He cleared his throat.

"Be straight with me," I ordered through narrowed eyes.

"It's the whole bent cop thing," he explained.

I nodded.

He smiled broadly once again and handed me a flyer. "Thanks, Sergeant, and vote for me."

I looked at the flyer. _Harvey Dent for DA. _A few lines down: _I believe in Harvey Dent._ I smiled at him as he walked out. As soon as I was sure that he was gone, I wadded up the flier and threw it in the trashcan. This guy was no good for this office.

A week later, I ran into him again at MCU after I had come back from a bust. This time we got them. The detectives back there congratulated me when I came into the building. They seemed genuinely happy that there was another bust, which meant that some of the cops in this city were still straight. As soon as Harvey Dent walked into the room, everyone fell silent. He smiled at us all with briefcase in hand.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

_No, not really. It's windy and cold, _I answered in my head as I smiled and nodded.

"Well," he pulled out a case file from his briefcase, "it looks like Johnson is up today."

Johnson, the same guy that helped me put Jason away a month ago, walked up to Dent. The guys behind him patted his back as he slugged forward. He glanced over at me. I smiled my reassurance, but I honestly had no idea what exactly what was going on, but it didn't look like it was going to be a pleasant thing.

Once they were gone, I leaned over to one of the other detectives. "What's going on?"

"That was Two-Face."

"Two-Face?" I knew him as Harvey Dent.

"Yeah," the guy affirmed. "He's always kind to us, but once he interrogates you, you're pretty much done in, even if you've done nothing wrong." He shivered. "He all ready got like five guys that did nothing wrong."

I clenched my hands into fists. I knew that he wasn't good for us. "I get why he's called Two-Face." I walked into Dad's office.

He was just doing paperwork as always. He didn't even have time to look up before I began yelling at him.

"How could you let him do this?!"

Dad took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before answering. "I didn't know, Alex." He looked slightly older than normal. I think that this guy was taking a toll on him.

I sat down and let my nerves calm down. "Were any of them on our side?"

He nodded.

I clenched my teeth, but slowly relaxed. "Did he interrogate you yet?"

Again, he nodded.

I swore under my breath. That's what was taking a toll on Dad, not including the lack of sleep that we were getting. "Dad, I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he soothed. "There was nothing you could do."

He was right, but there was still something that I could do. I got up out of my chair. I pulled open the door.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," Dad whispered. "Don't give him leverage on you."

I nodded and closed the door behind me. I walked down to the interrogation room. I was lucky because they were just getting out. I leaned against the wall.

Johnson looked like he was pissed and terrified at the same time. He looked at me with fiery eyes. He smiled and nodded. He had stayed true to everything that he believed in, and was going to stay a cop. I smiled back, but once Two-Face walked out, I let my smile turn upside down. This perfect looking man was wreaking more havoc in MCU than the Joker was, and I didn't want it to go on any longer.

He looked at me and smiled. "I wasn't going to interview you next, Sergeant, but since you're here, I might as well."

I shook my head. "Fine," I complied. I had a trick or two up my sleeve. I passed him and sat down at the steel table in my usual spot. I knew that my arrogance was going to come back to bite me. You know: karma; payback's a bitch. That sorta thing, but I was willing to risk it for the sake of my men, my friends. I wasn't planning on moving.

Two-Face nodded and sat across from me. "I suppose that you deserve that seat Sergeant."

Damn right, I did. "Why the Hell are you scaring my men?"

"I thought I was the one with the questions," he laughed. At the look of my blank face, he straightened up. "I wasn't aware that I was. I'm just doing my job."

"They hate you," I spat. "I admit, some of these men have done terrible things, but only a few are devoted to the mob. The rest only did it for the sake of bills that needed to be paid and are still extremely devoted to this city and catching its criminals."

"What about you?"

I stared at him. "I have, and never will, be involved in the mob. I'm a straight cop. The only one that's straighter is my father, who's going through a Hell of his own. He didn't need yours," I spat.

He laughed as he folded his hands on the table. "Getting a little defensive, aren't we?"

"You know what, Dent? I hope that you win your stupid little election because then you will be out of my hair," I growled.

He was silent; not even a smile crossed his well-chiseled face.

"I know that you're trying to help the city," I admitted, "but let me handle my men."

"What about your leak?"

"Lemme handle that, Dent," I said.

"I think that we're done here," he said as he packed his briefcase. "You're a good person, Sergeant, and I trust that you will find your leak. I'm only trying to help."

"I understand," I affirmed. "Just don't make them all seem like horrible people because their not." I walked out of the white, brick room and headed outside into the whipping wind. I pulled my helmet over my head as I revved up my bike.

I sped on the highways and parked next to my apartment. I pulled off my helmet and climbed up the stairs into the building. I rode the elevator up and unlocked my apartment. I walked into the bathroom to splash my face with cold water. I had a little outburst, and I knew that I was wrong. Didn't mean I liked the guy; I hated him. I looked into the mirror and noticed, although almost unnoticeable, black circles around my eyes. I needed sleep, but first, I was going to have a beer, something I hadn't had since the last time I had been home. That had to have been a week ago, maybe three days. I couldn't remember; nights and days seemed to be blurred since there wasn't an obvious spike in crime.

I walked into the kitchen, but as soon as I set foot on the tile floor of the kitchen, I stopped dead. It seemed as if my heart even stopped. In front of me was the man in the make-up that terrified me. His purple suit stood out from the brown of my kitchen. His hideously painted face mocked me. The dark circles reminded me of many nights of no sleep; nights of terrorizing innocent people. The red smile almost went from ear to ear. The Joker was in my apartment, and why ever he was here, it wasn't a good thing for me.

"Hello, Sarg," he slurred. He looked at my stunned face and laughed hysterically. It echoed everywhere. I was impeccably screwed.

**All right! That was an awesome, if I say so myself. The exact ending I wanted in fact. The rest of the chapter was okay. Next chapter will be a little, I don't know how to describe it, but in a word, frightening. I will try to be as accurate as possible for the Joker's personality. Heath was amazing in that role, and I don't know if I'm talented enough to do it. Let's hope so. I have a really good plot for it, so hopefully it'll be amazing. Review please!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for all the reviews guys!!!! I broke 100 reviews!!!!! That's a huge frickin record for me, and I owe all to you!!! OMG!! This is soooo amazing, and if you couldn't tell, I'm pretty pumped right now.**

**LS—I'm glad that you think that I did a good way of introducing the Joker. Thank you so much.**

**MasqueradeWitch—Well, I'm a little critical of my work…sorta. Well, of course I'm gonna tell you what happens to Alex. What kind of author would I be if I just left it at that. LOL**

**Sabre—Well, here's the next chapter, and about the 'their' and 'they're' issue, I know!!! I could've sworn that it was right when I wrote it, but when I went back over it, reading it, I realized that it was wrong!!! It was too late because I posted it.**

**Finn Lake—I quite liked that phrase too! Thank you for the compliment and liking it soo much! **

**Nocturnal Rose—I'm glad that you liked it, and I liked the cliff hanger as well. There will be more Bruce and Alex interaction soon so be patient. I'm glad that you love my story.**

**Bmangaka—I'm not telling who saves her! You must read! LOL**

**Johanna—Of course, she's screwed! It's the Joker! And you will see who saves her.**

**Hannah—Well, it's not gonna be good, I'm only telling you that much.**

**Pianoplayer—Well, I'm glad that it's awesomeness, and I officially love that word now. Hope this chapter is as awesome as the rest!**

**Tasha—My 100****th**** reviewer!!! Thank you, and you get a hug everytime I remember. Thank you!!! Well, now you will know!**

**Okay, wow, that's a lot of reviews. Thank you, thank you! Okay, as I said in the last chapter, things will be a little frightening and I found the word, gruesome. If you're easily nauseated, it might be best not to read. You will get clue ins in the next chapter if you choose not to read. I totally get it. IDK if I'll get the Joker's personality right so you must tell me if I don't.**

He laughed maniacally at my startled face. "Do the scars scare you?" he inquired.

I gathered myself back together and calmed my nerves, or at least tried to look like I did. "Not as much as you would like, actually." I just kept focusing on my breathing and staring at the patch of wall right exactly above his head so it still looked like I was staring at him.

He rushed at me with my hunting knifet. He pressed himself close to me with the blade of _my_ knife pressed against to corner of my mouth. "Wanna know how I got these scars?"

"You know? Not particularly," I spat in his face.

He wiped it off with his free hand as he began to move the knife deeper into my cheek.

I felt my heart pound in my chest. I had fired rifles that had less kick than what I felt now, but despite the thumping inside me, I managed to keep a straight face. I tasted my blood trickle in from the cut on the inside of my cheek, and I felt the warm, sticky liquid trace a trail down my face. I swallowed.

"I'm gonna…umm…tell ya anyway," he hissed as his tongue flicked to the corner of his mouth. He reminded me of a snake now, but with clown clothes. "Ya see…," his tongue ran across his dry, chapped lips, "I had a horrible, horrible childhood, and…uhh… my mom died." This was getting a little personal, and I highly doubted that that was what really happened to him. "My dad was always a little sad," his tongue flicked. So did his hand, which added a little more pressure to my cheek. "So one day I—I carved a smile in Daddy's face." He stared deep into my eyes and laughed. "Ya see? Daddy died, and I was… ummm… sad!"

I felt my heart begin to pound away in my chest again. I was terrified for my life. "I'm sorry. That must've been hard," I feigned sympathy.

He nodded childishly, but in a second, all of the child-like emotions were gone as he spun me around. He had skillfully swiped my handcuffs as he spun me around. He apparently had grabbed his pocket square from his jacket and wrapped it. I felt his body pressing against mine. I suspected that he hadn't taken a shower in quite a while because he stunk! "This isn't gonna hurt at all, Beautiful," he sneered as he pulled the wrapped pocket square tightly against my mouth.

I flinched as pocket square dug into the cut at the corner of my mouth. It hurt! Bad! Next I felt my own handcuffs digging into my wrists; there was going to be a bruise there in the morning I was sure.

"A taste of your own medicine," he sneered.

I clenched my hands into fists.

He cackled. "Ooh! A feisty one!" he squealed. "Only what I would expect from a cop!" He wrapped one, purple gloved hand around the gap between my wrists and dragged me around in my apartment, which was just loads of fun. I heard him open the door, and I was led into the hallway where we took the back stairs all the way down to the back of my apartment building. When I tried to turn around, he pulled on the knot of the gag, pulling it deeper into the cut. I finally just gave up and stood there facing the wall.

I eventually heard the trunk of the car being popped open. I was dragged backward, and I twisted my hands around in the cuffs to make it more comfortable. It didn't help because it still hurt. I felt my head being pushed down as I fell into the hard trunk.

The Joker smiled wildly at me. "Enjoy the ride," he scoffed. The lid was shut and I was enveloped in darkness.

The first thing that I did after the car lurched forward was glance around for the emergency handle for those that had somehow gotten themselves stuck in the trunk: gone. Swell, but slowly I remembered that I had an extra set of keys tucked inside my boot. I smirked as I maneuvered my way down so that my hand could grab the keys and unlock at least one of the cuffs free from my wrist. Finally, I clutched the precious metal in my right hand, and I began trying to unlock the left cuff when the car stopped. My heart rate about doubled, which was saying something because it was all ready pretty fast. Luckily, it was just a stoplight, and once we began moving again, I unlocked the cuffs and pulled my hands to the front of me. I began feeling around where the lights and license plate would be, hoping to be able to punch them out. They were barred over. The Joker did know what he was doing, and it bugged me. There wasn't really a flaw in his plan yet.

I was finally aware that I couldn't help myself anymore, and it was time that somebody else know what was going on. I pulled my phone off my belt and opened the message section. For some reason, I knew that it had to be Martin that knew. I don't know why it was him, but it just seemed right. So I texted him this:

_Help!! Joker got me! 'Emergency' file on computer. Code: 5887. Track me._

I hit send. Thank God for cell phones! I relaxed as I slid my phone back in its case. I slowly and gently tightened the cuffs back around my wrists. They weren't as tight this time, so it didn't hurt as much as was to be expected, but I left the gag in my mouth, figuring that it would stop the blood flow from the cut on my mouth. I kept my hands in front of me as I slid the keys back into my boot for further usage.

Soon enough we stopped, for good. I heard a door slam shut. We were wherever we were supposed to be. I heard more doors slam shut, and I knew that the clown had helpers. Just what I needed. The odds were being stacked against me. I heard the key fit into the lock on the trunk and turn. The lid was pulled open, letting in light and cold night air. I could see, just barely, but I could see the bat signal in the air. It gave me comfort knowing that Batman was out there somewhere, and Dad was just standing up there on the roof waiting. Unfortunately, my feeling of peace didn't last long as I saw the Joker's hideous face fill up my vision.

"We're here!" He grabbed my wrists, apparently not noticing the switch in their positions, and pulled me out of the trunk. I practically fell to my face on the concrete since my legs were pulled out last and gravity was also against me, but this madman just laughed at it as he pulled me to my feet. "Lookie here! Little Gordon isn't trying to escape us!"

I was utterly disgusted and I could've sworn that I threw up a little bit in my mouth as he pulled me into the warehouse. He pulled me up the stairs and threw me on the floor. He grabbed the keys out of my boot (okay, he obviously knew) and took off the handcuffs. He stuck the blade of my knife against my throat. The metal was warm, which meant that it was in his pocket; it must be a new piece to his assumingly large collection.

"Now, precious," he purred, "don't try to run away. It won't work well for you, but it will be fun for me." He laughed again as he worked busily away at the cuffs. He unlocked them and threw them on the floor. He pushed himself against me, making me slide up against a metal support in the middle of the room. One of his helpers handed him a long piece of rope and the Joker took it smiling. He skillfully tied my hands together and then wrapped the rope around support.

I leaned against it and tried to relax. It wasn't working very well, but at least, he thought it was. Still, I saw one of his goons coming at me with the butt of the gun. Last thing I saw before falling unconscious, was the Joker laughing and clapping his hands. This all really was fun and games to him.

I eventually woke up with the sun on my face, but the air and wind were bitter cold. Luckily, I had decided to wear a sweater yesterday. Since the sun was up, I was correct to assume that Batman hadn't saved me; I was still attached to the metal support when the Joker came in to greet me.

I felt Goosebumps wander up my arms when he smiled at me. It was then that I really noticed his scars, and he was right; they were scary as all get out. He was right in my face and I could see all the details in his face. The scars were deep and all bumpy. The edges were disfigured, while the part where he obviously did the cutting was smooth, normal face. He had used white, red and black play makeup or even Halloween makeup. It wasn't normal. "Well, good mornin', Beautiful!" he breathed into my face. It smelt horrible, but he took out my knife and sliced the ropes away from my wrists. "It's time for some fun, Sarg." He pulled me up by my hair, but thankfully, our "fun" was cut short by tires crunching on the gravel outside. Hopefully it was help, and not more of the Joker's "clowns." He threw me back down on the ground, hard. "Don't be going anywhere, now, Precious," he ordered. He walked out with my knife in his hand.

I took the advantage of the Joker being gone and untied the gag on my mouth. I was tired of having it in, obviously. He was a really good knot tier, and it took me a little time to untie the pocket square. I did it though, and I heaved a sigh of relief as I held the green pocket square in front of me. The left side of it was stained dark red from the cut on the side of my mouth. I gingerly raised my hand to my mouth and felt the cut. It had widened my mouth by a little bit; maybe half an inch. It had stopped bleeding, but it still stung like none other. I gently scratched away the dried crimson blood, turning the underside of my fingernails crimson. My tongue ran along the inside of my mouth feeling the newly acquired space. I heard the clacking of feet on the hardwood floor and arguing. I could definitely pick out the Joker; his voice was pretty much burned in my memory. Still, I recognized the other voice. It was kind of hard to recognize because I had never heard him yell; it was Martin.

They came into the room. The Joker had pressed my knife into Martin's cheek, and Martin's gun was gone. I don't know where it had gone, or if he even brought it, but he didn't have it either way. The Joker pinned him up against a wall in a position that Martin could see me. He stared at me with wide eyes, and for the first time in my life, I think that I was seeing Martin acting scared. He was normally so tough; I mean, he was SWAT, but apparently having a knife held to his mouth wasn't something he was too keen on. I smiled pathetically in a hope to encourage him, but it wasn't helping.

"So…umm… wanna know how I got these scars?" Not again! I knew that this wasn't going to end well, but all Martin did was swallow. "Well," the Joker began, "ya see in an… uhhh… attempt to save my girlfriend from being killed, the guys pinned me to the wall." He pushed Martin up into the concrete wall. "Just like this!" he growled. "They took a knife, similar to this one, and put it to my face. Like this!" He stuck the knife in Martin's mouth at the corner of his cheek. "They looked at ole terrified me and said…uhhh… WHY… SO… SERIOUS?!" He pulled the knife across Martin's face letting blood pour down his face and onto the concrete floor. I turned away, not daring to look. Martin was screaming in agony as the Joker pulled my knife across his other cheek, allowing more blood flow into the pool at his feet. The Joker squealed and began laughing. It was high pitched and echoed across the room.

Martin fell to the ground as more blood ran into the pool around him. The Joker took off his glove and scooped up some blood on his fingers. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked on them. He went into a sort of haze; the blood was like a drug for him, and he was getting high off of it. He squealed and walked around in a circle for a while.

I pulled off my sweater and ran to Martin's side. I wrapped up my sweater and stuck it underneath Martin's head as if it were a pillow. I didn't want him lying in his own blood anymore. I ran my hand through his hair in a soothing motion. "Oh, Martin," I cried, "I'm so sorry." I cradled his head in comfort. "I wish that this didn't have to happen." I placed one of my hands on his cheek and tried, hopelessly, to get some of the blood off his face. It didn't help. The only thing it did was get blood on my hands.

He raised his hand up and cupped my cheek, getting blood there too. "It's okay, Al," he whispered. It was almost not understandable because of the slices on his face. "I was just trying to be your Knight in Shining Armor, but it didn't work." He attempted at a smile, but when he did, he just groaned in pain instead.

I closed my eyes as I continued to run my hand through his hair. "I'm so sorry. Just so sorry," I repeated over and over. "It's my fault."

"No," he said sternly, "it was mine for coming here alone."

"Alone?! Does anybody else know that you're here?"

He nodded. "I left a note on your dad's desk."

I placed my hand in his. He squeezed it gently.

The Joker turned his attention back to us. "Ya know? Even though this is…ummm…," his tongue flicked out again, "as sweet as this is, I gotta little game for us to play." I didn't want to play a game, especially with this nut. He had all ready done enough damage. "One of you will be dead in five minutes, and I…uhhh am giving you the power to decide." He tossed the knife to me as he turned to leave. He looked over his shoulder. "Oh! And if you're both not dead in five minutes, you both die." He leaned against the wall to watch.

I held the knife in my hand. I didn't want to kill Martin so I held the knife to my throat.

Martin grabbed my hand and whispered, "I'm gonna die anyway. Kill me."

"No!" I protested. "I'm not going to kill you!"

"Look at me," he reasoned. "I'm bleeding out right now as we speak, so I know that I'm not going to make it. Gotham needs _you_! Just do it." He pulled my hand down and placed the blade on his neck. He looked at me with such strength that I almost gave in.

"No," I held out. "If you're gonna die, I'm dying with you." I made a move to bring the knife back to my neck, but Martin held it in place.

He looked at me. "Do it."

I shivered. The cold was getting to me; of course, the thought sickened me too. I heard the Joker playing with another knife. I closed my eyes and applied pressure to the knife.

"You're doing me a favor, but can I ask one thing?"

I opened my eyes.

"Do it with your hair down."

"Why?"

"I know you with your hair down, so it won't seem as if it's you doing it, and besides, I've always wanted to see you with your hair down." He smiled.

I complied and let down my wavy hair. "Are you ready?"

He nodded.

I pulled the knife across his neck quickly. Blood poured out of his neck onto the floor, staining his neck and shirt with blood. I turned my head away and scurried to the other side of the room and sunk down against the wall. I pulled my knees against my face and wrapped my arms around my legs. I couldn't believe what I had just done. Martin was dead, and I did it! I murdered Martin! I felt my stomach do flip-flops and I felt like I was going to throw up. I heard the faint sound of sirens coming up to us. I looked up just in time to see a blur of purple, green, and white flee out of the building. I stared at Martin's body and felt vomit come up in my mouth. I fought it back down and lowered my head. The sirens stopped and I heard yelling coming from outside. I closed my eyes and hoped that this was all just a nightmare, but I knew that it wasn't.

I felt warm hands on my freezing, almost numb arms. "Alex, it's okay."

I looked up into the face of my Dad.

**OMG!!! That took forever to write, but give me credit: writing the Joker is hard, and I got sick. I'm actually still sick, but I was actually able to crawl out of bed and write this tonight. I still feel horrible, but the meds are working. I'm sorry about the gore and blood, but I did tell you ahead of time. Tell me how close I was to capturing the Joker's personality because I'm not sure about it at all. There will probably one or two more chapters to the bridge (before I start Dark Knight).**

**I got 21 hits today on this story, which is almost sad enough to make me cry, but then I remember I have more than 100 reviews on this story, and I get happy again! That is pretty amazing for me guys, so thanks again!!!! Review please!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Hannah— Really? They're probably just dry, but if I really did make you cry, I guess I'm doing pretty well at the writing. Lol Here's more.**

**Naomi—You're falling behind my friend! LOL You should work on getting your chapter out so I can read it!**

**LS—Sorry, I almost made you throw up, but thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so relieved that I got the Joker right. It was really hard.**

**Nocturnal Rose—I'm glad that you loved it. Yeah, poor, poor Martin! I didn't want to kill him, but it makes sense later. Trust me!**

**Johanna—What do you mean "How could you?" What did I do? Here's the update, I hope that it was soon enough.**

**Sabre—Interesting is better than bad. Here's the next chapter.**

**Bmangaka—Yeah, I know that it's sad! **

**Blpaul—I'm glad that you like it! Yeah poor Alex; she is gonna be a mess for a while.**

**Haha21—I'm sorry that I forgot to reply to you last chapter. Also, thanks for the compliments. Okay, I see your point about everything. Here's my counter: Martin was going to die anyway, might as well get it over with. She didn't want to, but she realized that Martin was going to die; there was nothing she could do about it. About him coming alone, maybe he thought that it wasn't going to be that hard. They knew the strength of the Joker, but he always had helpers. Plus, he knew that the Joker wasn't actually expecting him to be there. He was trying to save her; be her knight in shining armor, remember? Trust me, this will make sense in later chapters. It's sorta like when Gordon went to save his family. He came alone. Things could've gone way out of hand. It's hard to explain.**

**Okay, here's the chapter! I'm still sick so forgive me if it's not as good as the other ones. I still kinda have a fever so that's why it took so long; it's really cold down by the computer. I'm coughing up storms, and I have a freakishly plugged nose. Plus, I gotta sore throat. It's not pleasant. **

Dad squatted down beside me and tipped my chin up. "Alex, it's okay. I'm here." He smiled warmly at me.

I couldn't even manage a smile. "Daddy," I whimpered.

"Oh, Alex," he soothed. He pulled me close to him in a hug. I just laid my head on his chest, not daring to do anything else. He gently rubbed his hands along my back. "You're freezing!" he exclaimed.

I managed look up at him. "Naw really?! I've been in a tank top for about thirty minutes, and it's really cold." I laughed tensely. I was trying to act normal, but when my eyes caught sight of Martin, I buried my face in Dad's chest.

He let go of me and pulled his trench coat off and wrapped it around my shoulders. "There," he said. "That better?"

I nodded. "Thanks, Dad."

He glanced around before gently grabbing my arms and pulling me into a standing position. He wrapped me in his arms again. "Alex, I don't know what happened, but I'm sooo sorry, and I'm here now."

I glanced over at Martin's body. I felt sick, like I was going to throw up, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pull my eyes off him. I blinked, but all I saw was his blank, glazed eyes staring at me. I felt the vomit rise in my mouth again.

Dad noticed me staring at Martin and pulled my face back to him. "There was nothing you could've done," he assured.

_Yes, there was. I didn't have to kill him!_ I laid my head on his shoulder. This wasn't going to be easy.

Dad tipped my chin up, apparently having noticed the cut on the corner of my mouth. "He did this to you?"

I nodded, but jerked my head away. "It's not that bad," I protested, but he didn't believe it.

He shook his head. "It may not be bleeding, but you're still gonna get stitches for that." He touched it gently with his finger.

I flinched. It still stung like none other.

"Sorry." He let me out of his embrace and wrapped one arm around my shoulders and guided me to the outside.

I laid my head on his shoulder as he walked with me to the stairs. Unfortunately, we had to pass Martin's body. I stopped walking and stared down at him. The bleeding had long ago stopped, but the cuts were incredibly obvious. The gashes on his cheeks were the most hideous; they were jagged and skin kind of hung loosely. It was the line on his throat that made me the most sick. Suddenly, I had just a picture in my mind from my eyes: _my hair was hanging down as I pulled the knife across his neck._ I remembered that my hair was still down, but right then I didn't care. I doubled over and let the vomit come out of my mouth. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I was just so utterly disgusted with myself as well as the Joker.

Dad placed his hand on my back in silent comfort. I looked up at him with misty eyes and a little bit of vomit on my chin. I must have looked pretty pathetic, but Dad didn't crack a smile. He stared at me sadly from behind his glasses. I stood up straight to be hugged by my dad again. "It'll get better, Sweetie," he whispered in my ear. "Trust me on that." He didn't know anything about what happened, but I was going to trust him.

I nodded and he let me go and we continued our way down the stairs to the outside. Finally, we made it. I did throw up a couple times on the way down. I couldn't stand this anymore; I just wanted to go home, but I didn't want to go home at all. It was understandable.

There was one SWAT car there, about 10 patrol cars, a few unmarked cars with sirens on top, and an ambulance. Everyone was standing around waiting to go in. Dad had obviously wanted to go in first because it was me in there. When I walked out, there was a little bit of cheering from the guys at MCU. I smiled at them.

"Thanks guys!" I smiled. I still wasn't feeling that well, but maybe I could fake it for a little while.

One of Martin's SWAT members walked up to me. He was tall and wide. He looked like he had played football in college, and possibly high school. He had blonde hair that just a little bit longer than Martin's. He looked a lot more grown up than Martin, but they were actually the same age. I knew the guy by the name of Harry.

I rolled my eyes mentally, hoping that he wasn't going to ask about Martin, but I knew that he was. "What's up, Harry?" I feigned ignorance.

He had let his gun fall to side on the strap. "Don't do that, Al. You know exactly what's up." He gestured the blood on my hand and on my cheek: Martin's blood.

I lowered my head as I felt what could've been the entire universe being heaped upon my shoulders. "He's dead," I breathed. I waited in silence for a reaction, but there was none; only a question. I lied. "The Joker killed him." I felt incredibly sick, light-headed, and weak. I didn't want to lie, but I didn't want to hear myself say it, so I didn't. I felt tears come up in my eyes, but I fought them off. I walked away.

Wilson stood against the wall, watching me. I could see him out of the corner of my eye. I was pretty sure that he had heard my conversation with Harry because he smiled and pushed himself off the wall and approached me. "Alex, are you okay?" He nodded his head towards the cut on the side of my mouth.

I nodded. "I'm fine; just a little shaken up is all."

I think that he saw through my lies, but nodded none-the-less. He knew that I didn't want to talk about what happened. He leaned in awkwardly, and reluctantly. He wrapped his arms around me in a hug. "I know that this is different than our normal relationship, but you need it right now," he whispered in my ear.

I wrapped my arms around his back and felt Dad's jacket fall off my shoulders, but Wilson's arms held it on me. One of Wilson's hands gently meshed with the ends of my hair that still hung around my shoulders. I let go at seeing the EMTs coming out of the warehouse with a stretcher and a bodybag. Wilson let go too.

I stared blankly, clutching my dad's trench coat around me. I knew that it was Martin, and I just started trembling. I felt stares on the back of my head, and I knew that they all wanted to know what happened. I certainly couldn't tell them. I lowered my head as they lifted him into the back of the ambulance. I turned and walked to the shore. I stuck my arms through the sleeves of my dad's jacket and pulled my hair back in a ponytail. I looked out over the calm water, feeling the uneasiness in my stomach rise again. I threw up over the concrete barrier. I swallowed and sat on the concrete barrier with my head in my hands. I shuttered and trembled, but I still didn't cry. It was like I was completely numb from this, but apparently I wasn't.

I felt a hand on my back. The pressure on my shoulder got heavier and saw a pair of docker pants and dress shoes hit the concrete next to me. I didn't have to look up to know that it was my dad. "Al, I don't know what happened, but I can tell that there are some details that you're not telling me. I can tell that you don't want me to know, but when you need to, I'm here. I'm always listening." He moved his hand from my shoulder down to my knee. "It is gonna be okay, Alex. It just might take time. Don't beat yourself up about this."

_Don't beat yourself up! Yeah right!_ I nodded.

"C'mon, Al," he urged, "you need to get that gash stitched up." He patted my leg and threw his legs over the concrete. I followed suit.

I followed Dad back to the ambulance and sat on the bumper as Dad went and grabbed one of the EMTs. They walked back to me. I was bouncing my leg on the concrete ground. The EMT smiled at me as he grabbed a needle and thread.

"Should only take one stitch, Sergeant," he commented as he poked the needle into my skin and pulled it through.

I flinched when he poked it in and when he tightened the string so that he could tie it off.

"You'll be able to take it off in about a month to be sure, at least two weeks." Swell. This wouldn't make eating difficult at all.

I nodded and slid off the ambulance. I walked over to Dad's car and slid into the passenger seat. I put my boots on the dash and curled up with my arms on my knees. I placed my forehead on my arms and closed my eyes. I knew that the scene wasn't completely finished, but all I wanted to do was get out of there. I wanted to lay down on a bed and go to sleep. Maybe I would even have a beer. Who knew? All I wanted to do was get out of this place. That was a sure fact.

I heard Dad slide into the driver's seat and close the door. He turned the key in the ignition and backed out of the warehouse parking area. The walkie-talkie in the car crackled loudly. I looked up. "Sorry," Dad commented as he leaned forward and turned to knob to shut it off.

I let my feet fall off the dash as I leaned against the window and peered up at Gotham's skyscrapers. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of the trench coat and closed my eyes, but as soon as I saw Martin, they shot back open. Okay, no sleep right now. I watched as all the buildings went into a blur. I saw a banner on the IA building for Harvey Dent. I rolled my eyes.

"You're quiet," Dad joked. I could picture him smiling as he looked over at me.

I stayed silent. I didn't particularly feel like talking right now.

He reached over and placed his hand on my knee. "I'm sorry. I know that he meant a lot to you."

I smiled, still staring out the window. I figured that Dad couldn't stand me not talking right now, so I decided that I had to come up with something. "Dad, thanks." I looked over at him with a smile on my face.

He smiled. I could still see the hurt in his eyes though. He must have been heart broken that this had happened.

It was my turn to comfort him. "Dad, you couldn't have done anything to have stopped it." I knew that he was going to protest that so, "Don't say anything and listen to me. There really wasn't, and if I had texted you instead of Martin, you would be dead now. Gotham depends on you so much. We couldn't have afforded to lose you instead."

Dad stared at me at the stoplight with hard eyes. "You're acting heartless, like you didn't even know Martin," he scolded sternly. "He was one of your best friends. You should be crying."

I knew he was right. I lowered my eyes from his. "It's was scary, Dad. I watched him die. It's all I can do to keep from falling into a dark hole." I felt tears well up in my eyes, but they refused to fall. "I'm not meaning to be heartless," I whispered. I turned my attention back to the skyscrapers passing by. I couldn't face my dad's honest scoldings right now. I wasn't telling him everything, and I didn't know if I ever would.

Dad's harshness changed in a second. His eyes got soft, and I could see the bottom edge of his glasses fogging up just a little bit. His moustache covered up the top of the thin line of his mouth. "Sweetie, I didn't know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He placed his hand on my shoulder as the SUV we were in lurched forward from the red light.

**Okay, it's not that great, and I'm sorry. I think that there will be one more bridge chapter. Then I will dive straight into **_**The Dark Knight**_**. Let me explain about the crappiness: I've been sick, which means I've been on meds, and I swear that it's going to my head. I don't know if I'll be stuck home tomorrow or not, but if I am, I may be able to post another chapter up. I'm pretty sure Mom wants to pick me up at lunch time so I'll be able to write then. Okay, enough blubbing. Bye!**


	18. Chapter 18

**I didn't want to do the lack of reviews rant, but I only got three reviews! C'mon guys! That's weak! Please review guys! It means the world to me when I read what you guys have to say. **

**Sabre—Well, making sense is a debatable term. Things will sorta come together as the story goes on. Thank you for reviewing!!!!**

**Hannah—Here's more! Thanks for reviewing BTW! Well, your question shall be answered in this chapter.**

**Johanna—That's sorta what I thought you meant, but I didn't want to be wrong. Yeah, Martin was pretty cool! I liked him too. Thanks for reviewing and complimenting.**

**Okay, first off, I'm really, really, really, reall,y sorry that it has taken so long to post. We've gotten slammed at school with homework, so I haven't had the time to write. Plus, this chapter is gonna be hard to write because there's a lot of stuff that happens since I've promised that the next chapter will be in **_**The Dark Knight**_**. I think that this will be the longest chapter yet. Here goes.**

We pulled up to MCU to be greeted by a swarm of people. There were ten video cameras accompanied by the towering microphones with their puffy coverings. There were random people gathering around all of the reporters and journalists, making it one of the biggest scenes that had gone on at MCU so far.

Dad parked the car and turned off the ignition. I unclicked my seatbelt and jumped out of the car. I was still a little shaky on me feet, unfortunately. I felt a little light headed and there was a little bit of darkness in my eyes as I clutched Dad's jacket closer to me. I walked towards the crowd with my head held, but Dad refused to let me face it alone. He wrapped me protectively in his arm as we headed into the crowd of people.

"Just keep your head down," Dad advised in my ear.

The crowd was on us.

"Sergeant Gordon, what was it like being that up close and personal with the Joker?"

_Terrifying_, I answered in my head, but I kept moving.

"Sergeant, is he really as horrible as he acts?" Honestly! Did they really have to ask that question? Shouldn't it be obvious?! The questions were directed to Dad.

"Lieutenant, how did you feel knowing that your daughter was in the clutches of the Joker?"

Dad didn't answer, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking as we finally made it inside. "Excuse me," Dad politely ordered the rest of the reporters and journalists to move as we squeezed our way into the elevator.

The doors hissed shut and we were enveloped in silence. Dad stood stiffly at the front of the elevator. His shoulders, which were normally somewhat lowered because of the job or exhaustion, were stick straight or possibly even slightly pointed upward. His glasses were perched very high on his straight nose. The lines on his face seemed to be chiseled deeper in, and his eyes were heavy. I sighed and walked over to the side of the elevator with Dad's jacket still clutched tightly to me. Now, that I wasn't focusing on anything, I could faintly smell the cologne that he hadn't worn for a while. I smiled as I leaned my head against the wall.

I heard Dad sigh. "Alex, I'm sorry." He obviously wasn't expecting the camera crews, and he felt as if it was his fault; that explained why he was so tense. I could tell that he thought that it was whoever our leak was. We needed to get rid of whoever it was, and with Dent's little IA investigation, everyone knew about it. The rest of the elevator ride was taken in silence. Neither of us was very talkative, apparently.

The doors slid open, and people just stared at us. I lowered my eyes. I had no idea that this would really happen. Couldn't they understand that I was trying to forget what happened? Well, apparently not, and they weren't helping me. Dad smiled at me as he walked to his office, leaving me alone to face all of them. I clutched the ends of the sleeves of Dad's jacket as I attempted to make my way to my office, where I could close the door and forget everything that had just happened.

I was stopped by our rookie, Ramirez. "Alex, I'm so sorry, and if you need anything, I mean anything, just ask."

Another detective stopped me. "Alex, do you need anything? A glass of water?"

By about the fifth person asking, I snapped. "Stop! Just everyone stop!" I yelled with hands in the air. Everyone did stop, and I saw Dad poke his head from his paper work. "I know what just happened to me, and apparently you all do too! I appreciate the offers of help, but I can take perfectly good care of myself!" I scanned across the astonished faces. Most of them looked like they didn't believe me because of what happened, but that was their problem. I spun around and walked into my office, slamming the door behind me. I sunk down into my rolling chair and pulled Dad's jacket close around me. I hugged myself as I felt things start to fall apart. It was the first time that I had the chance to just sit there and not put on an act that I was fine. Everybody thought that it was the Joker that had killed Martin.

I was rudely jerked out of my thoughts by a knock on the door. I got up to open the door, but first, I took off the jacket. I didn't want people to think that it was security blanket, even thought it was. I opened the door to reveal Harry standing there with an envelope in his hand. I opened the door wider so he could come in. I closed the door behind him and sat on the desk.

He glanced at the hand print that Martin had left on my cheek. "You haven't really had a chance to look at yourself in the mirror, have you?"

I tried to pull out a small laugh. "No, not really," I answered. "I honestly don't think could." I ran my hand over the hand that I had tried hopelessly to wipe the blood off of Martin's face.

Harry saw the sad expression on my face. "He meant a lot, didn't he?"

I silently nodded.

He placed his hand on mine. "He really liked you," he mentioned as he placed the envelope on my desk. "I think that he would've wanted you to have this." He smiled and walked out.

I closed my eyes allowing one tear to fall down my face. I walked around the desk and sat down in my chair. I pulled the envelope closer to me across the desk. I flipped open the flap and emptied out the contents of the envelope. There wasn't much in there, but I still handled the contents with care. I gently flipped over the smaller piece of paper over in my hand. It felt silky in my hand, which meant it was probably a picture. The picture was of me. It was relatively flattering. I remembered the day that it was taken with a smile.

"_C'mon, Gordie," he taunted with the camera in his hand, "just one picture. For my mom." He looked at me innocently as he dangled the camera in my face._

_I shook my head. "I don't care who it's for. I'm not doing it," I laughed playfully in the sunlight. It really was a gorgeous summer day. The sky was blue, and there wasn't a cloud around. Martin had invited me to the park just to hang out. It was a nice break from work. The grass was trimmed nicely and the trees chirped with birds. There were gardens filled with flowers of pink, red, purple, yellow, blue, and white. It was gorgeous._

"_What if I'm in it with you?" he suggested._

_I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but you only get one shot at this," I agreed. _

_He pulled the camera around as he pressed his face next to mine. "Smile big, Gordie!"_

"_Don't call me that!" I growled through my smile._

_He clicked the camera, and the moment was captured both in my mind and on film. _

I felt my eyes get misty. Apparently, the picture had never made it to his mom; I smiled. I should have guessed, but it was still a good picture of us. I remembered being so mad at him for calling me Gordie. He was the only one that gave me grief for being related to Dad for more than a year. I laid the picture by my computer and held my head in my hands. Damn, I missed him. I never thought that he'd be gone, and I never thought that it would be my fault. _Damn!_ I slammed my fists on the desk. I was pulled out of my thoughts by my phone ringing.

I flipped it open slowly, cursing whoever was calling me. "Gordon," I answered as normally as possible.

"Alex," the other person breathed. It was a male voice; that was all I could figure out. "It's me, Bruce. I just heard about what happened." How did he get my number? He probably had some high-tech way to get it at Wayne Enterprises.

I sighed. I didn't want to talk to him. I didn't even know what to say so I stayed silent.

"Alex, I'm sorry." I could picture him smiling sadly.

"Thank you, Bruce," I whispered. I didn't know why, but I just wanted to fall into his strong arms and let him hold me. It was the oddest feeling, but it was there. I couldn't deny it.

"I really am sorry," he said before I heard a click.

I didn't know why he had called me as I snapped my phone shut. I held it in my hand as pondered over the events of the day. I looked out my window and saw the sun sinking below the horizon, leaving the windows on the buildings an orangish-gold. It was beautiful and blinding at the same time. I leaned back in my chair. I wasn't going home tonight. I didn't, and couldn't, be alone tonight. Just the thought of being alone sent shivers down my spine. I needed the support of people, no matter how few there were.

There was a knock on my door, and Dad poked his head in. "Al, I'm heading home. Do you want me to take you to your apartment?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I think I'm gonna stay here tonight."

He raised an eyebrow in question.

"I don't wanna be alone."

He scowled at me. "I don't want you spending the night here; at least, not tonight. You can stay at my place." There was no room for argument there; I was going to be staying at Dad and Barbara's place tonight.

I nodded as I shut off the monitor of my computer. I handed Dad's trench coat back to him, but he held his hand out. I assumed I was going to keep it until I got to their apartment. I put it on and we headed out the door. I again slid into the passenger seat of Dad's car once we got into the garage. Dad started the engine and pulled out onto the streets of Gotham. It was now that I noticed how blank my dad's eyes got when he was off work. It was like he was trying to ignore the sirens, the things that were going on around him. It made sense; we were constantly working, and when we were off, we wanted to just ignore our job. I sighed and turned the radio on. I couldn't handle silence anymore.

Finally, we made it to the outskirts of town, to where Dad's apartment was. He shut off the engine and went to the door. I, however, just stood by the side of the car, staring off into the darkness. I didn't know what I was expecting, but I just stared into the gaping abyss.

Dad cleared his throat to get my attention. "There's nothing there, Alex. You're safe."

I nodded and followed him inside to be greeted by Jimmy.

"Hey, Alex!" he greeted from in front of the TV. "Wanna play?" The screen showed some video game; it looked like a racing game of some sort. Jimmy was controlling a red Corvette as he tore through the streets of some unknown and probably made up town. He was pretty good at it.

"You know? I think I'm gonna have to take a rain check on that, buddy," I answered. It did look fun, but a quiet night was one that I was looking forward to.

He looked at me with puppy-dog eyes. "Please…," he pleaded. "I wanna play with someone."

I gave in at the puppy eyes. They were so innocent. "All right," I complied. "Just for a few minutes."

He smiled at me as I sat down on the floor next to him and picked up the second controller. He obviously hadn't taken a very good look at what I was wearing or my face. It was a comfort actually that he assumed that I looked the same. I chose my car: a blue Nascar Race Car. I could hear Dad talking to Barbara about something. It was quietly so I assumed it was either about Jimmy or me. I tried listening, but once I started dying on the game, I devoted my attention to the TV screen. I eventually heard the mumbling stop and the chair being pulled away from the table as Dad sat down to eat reheated dinner.

"Alex, dear," Barbara spoke up, "would you like anything for dinner? There's a little bit left here if you want."

Jimmy paused the game as I got up and headed into the kitchen. I peered into the pan that still sat on the stove. Spaghetti peered back up at me, and while it looked tempting, I thought better of trying something that had lots of flavor. "Could I just have like… oatmeal?" I asked.

Barbara nodded. "Yes, of course! Jim told me that you're stomach wasn't feeling very well tonight." She reached into the cupboard and pulled out a bowl as I shot Dad a death glance.

He shrugged innocently. "I didn't tell her anything of what happened," he whispered earnestly.

I nodded as I sat down at the table. I heard the water run and the microwave begin to cook my very bland meal. I sighed and placed my head in my hands. Today was such a long day! I heard a clunk next to me and I could feel a warm hand on my back. It was smaller and softer than Dad's so I assumed that it was Barbara's. "Thank you," I muttered.

I heard Barb bustling around the room. "Jimmy, enough of that game! Go and do your homework!"

"But, Mom…!"

"No buts! Go!"

I heard Jimmy muttering to himself as the TV shut off and he went into his room. I shook my head in laughter. I could remember never wanting to do my homework, but it paid off in the end. Barb switched the TV back on and the news filled up the room. Dad got up and sat next to his wife. He wrapped his arm around her, and it was immediately apparent that they hadn't really gotten a chance to just sit down and relax together. Behind me, the microwave rang. I got up and grabbed the bowl of bland, mushy nutrients; that's about all it was. I grabbed a spoon and sat down with the bowl.

"There's brown sugar in the cupboard if you want some," Barb commented as her eyes stayed glued to the TV. She laid her head on Dad's shoulder.

I shook my head as I sunk my spoon into the mush. I slowly ate it, trying to make up some taste to make up for the nothingness. I occasionally took a sip of water as I poked through the bowl of oatmeal. Eventually something on the TV caught my attention.

"Today, in Gotham PD's Major Crimes Unit, the Lieutenant's daughter was rescued from near death in a warehouse from the Joker," the reporter said as they began to roll footage of Dad and I in front of MCU. "Sergeant Gordon disappeared from her apartment late last night. She had apparently contacted SWAT officer Martin Fitzgerald saying where she was and what had happened." There was a picture of Martin and one of me projected on the screen. "In Officer Fitzgerald's bravery, he was killed by the Joker. A few minutes later, Lieutenant Gordon and other officers arrived to save his daughter." There was more footage of Dad and I in front of the building.

Damn them!! How the Hell did they know about everything? Nobody knew that! Damn leak! I took a long drink of water, finishing off the glass. I put the bowl and glass in the sink as Barbara came to Jimmy's cries for help in homework. I sat on the couch next to Dad. "How did they know?" I asked pathetically as I looked up at my dad.

He smiled sympathetically. "I don't know, but I'm sure that it was the leak." He got up to grab a bottle of beer for himself.

"Wanna grab me one of those?" I was feeling a lot better since I had been able to keep the oatmeal down for now, and maybe a beer would help calm me down a little bit.

"You drink?" Dad asked incredulously.

I stared at him. "Dad, I'm 30, and I work for the police force in Gotham."

"Good point." He grabbed me a bottle and headed back to the couch. He handed me a bottle before sitting down.

The top was all ready popped off for me and I savored my first swallow. The memories didn't go away, but they didn't come flooding back, which was a good thing. Another good thing, I wasn't feeling sick.

Dad took a swallow from the bottle and switched the channel to some random game show. It was completely pointless. The contestants were being asked the simplest questions. I could've sworn it was Family Feud, but it wasn't. It was more like Family Feud and Wheel of Fortune were squished together. Suddenly, I felt something rising in my stomach. Apparently, the beer was a bad idea. I got up and walked swiftly to the bathroom. I nearly knocked Jimmy over as I stumbled into the bathroom to throw up.

"Dad, what's wrong with Alex? She's been actin' weird all night."

I bent over the toilet and threw up my mushy dinner. _Looks the same coming out as it did going in_, I mused to myself. Ew! I shook my head as I threw up a little bit more. I flushed the toilet and washed my face off before going back to the main room. I slumped down on the couch and felt my eyelids grow heavy. I didn't even realize that Dad had left until he came back with a small stack in his hand.

He laid the blanket and pillow on the edge of the couch. "Hope ya don't mind the couch," he said as he handed me the rest of his stack. "I got you a pair of Barbara's sweatpants and a T-shirt of mine."

I clutched the clothes to me. "Thanks." I headed back to the bathroom to get changed. I looked at my watch. It was all ready 9:55! The day had gone by relatively fast considering it felt so slow. Once I had gotten changed, I headed back out to the room to find that the couch was made up and the lights were all turned off, except for the lamp next to the couch. I crawled underneath the covers, flipped off the light, and faded into slumber.

_I was back in the warehouse with Martin. He was still alive! He was bleeding just as he had before in real life. The knife was in my hand and it was poised over Martin's neck. I tried to convince myself not to do it, and with everything that dreams were made of, I tried to not pull the blade across his neck. Never the less, I still did it. Everything faded to black and the Joker's laugh filled my mind! The high-pitched cackling wouldn't shut up._

My eyes shot open. I glanced at my watch: 1:15. Well, I had managed to get a decent night sleep until my nightmare woke me. I felt like I should get up and get water, but a weight sunk down on the couch next to me. The blanket was pulled up over my shoulder and the hair was brushed away from my face. I felt a warm hand on my cheek.

"Sweetie," Dad's voice whispered into the dark, "this was never supposed to happen to you. I was supposed to protect you…always. This whole mess is my fault for not protecting you." His voice sounded weak, and trembling. He ran his hand down my arm, even though it was underneath the blanket. "I'm so sorry. How come I can't seem to protect you?" I could've sworn that I felt a tear land gently on my cheek. He leaned down and kissed the spot where the tear landed and left to go back to bed.

My eyes closed and woke up every hour with nightmares until 4:30, when I finally decided to go to MCU and let off some steam. I needed to just shoot my gun at something because I hoped that it would help. Maybe it would, maybe it wouldn't, but I needed to go to work anyway. I was quite frankly tired of waking up every hour. I got up and changed into my work clothes, hoping that I would have an extra shirt in my desk. I grabbed a bottle of water and left Dad a note so that he wouldn't freak out.

_Hey Dad,_

_I decided to head into work early. You'll probably be able to find me at the firing range. _

_Love ya,_

_Alex_

I hailed at taxi and made it to work by 5. I was rather impressed with myself. I checked in and headed straight to my office to get a shirt, maybe. I unlocked my door and was greeted by the picture of Martin and me. I closed my eyes as I began scouring through drawers hoping that I would find something; I did! I pulled the polo shirt over my tank top and headed down to the firing range. I had fired about ten magazines before Dad finally came into the firing range.

"Alex, I think I'm gonna pull you off the Joker case," he greeted.

I stopped firing for a second. "What?! That's my case! I've been with it since the beginning!" I fired off another shot. "Besides, I owe it to Martin," I muttered.

"The Joker took you!" he explained. "I don't want you to have to deal with him anymore."

"I'm not going to be taken off!" I protested.

"The Joker hurt you," he said in a gentler tone. "As you senior officer, I'm pulling you off."

I fired a shot. "It's not what he did!" Another shot. "It's what I did!"

"Alex," Dad soothed, "what happened?"

I fired off another shot, ignoring my dad.

"Alexandra! What the Hell happened in there?"

I let the gun fall to the counter with a clatter. "Dad, the Joker didn't kill him," I breathed. "I did." I felt tears begin to fall down my face. Now that I had said it, I was falling apart.

Dad stared at me. "Why the Hell did you do that?"

I fell into his chest as more and more tears came streaming down my face. "I didn't want to, Daddy! I didn't want to!" I sobbed.

He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my back. "It's okay. I know. Shhh." He ran his hands on my back as I just sobbed into his shirt for about ten minutes. "Let it out, Sweetie. You're okay."

**Okay that was extremely long! The longest yet! Please, please review. The button is just down there. The next chapter will be **_**The Dark Knight**_**! Yay!!! Again I apologize for it taking so long! Hopefully, it won't take as long for the next one. Okay, please review. See that button down there? Yeah, click that please.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for the many reviews that I got!!!! =)**

**Lady Slone—Yeah, poor Al. She bounces back pretty well in this chapter, but it does come back to haunt her.**

**Hannah—Yeah, I think that I probably would have too, but I don't know. Yeah, that was one of the things I was trying to do with Alex's character was to make her strong and independent. Glad that you picked up on it. Lol There will be more Bruce/Batman and Alex interaction in this chapter. Just not romantically, but in TDK her realization of him as Bruce definitely comes out, and helps lots.**

**Nocturnal Rose—Sorry, it took so long, but here's more.**

**Sabre—Thank you!!!! I'm glad that it was good, and I'm sorry about your friend. Being sick with the flu sucks! In fact, I caught it, and that's how I got the idea for it. I thought that it would fit in really well. **

**Blpaul—Thank you! Yeah, lots of emotion, but I mean, wouldn't you be kinda feeling that way if it happened to you? Idk. This chapter won't have as much healing since I'm starting straight into TDK, but there will be some with a certain someone later on. ;) lol**

**Bmangaka—Yeah, I think that Gordon does get it, and he's being the dad that she needs: protector, comforter. That sorta thing. I'm glad that you liked it.**

**Haha21—You cried? Wow! I'm touched! I don't really know how to describe it, but it means a lot that my writing is that powerful. Here's the update.**

**Johanna—Yeah, lots of bad nightmares to come…. Eek!! You know, I didn't really think that one through all the way, but let's just say, Bruce has connections. It makes sense, and doesn't make me have to explain since I don't have an explanation. ;)**

**Rawemotion—Nice to meet you! =D I'm glad that you love it, and I'm also glad that it is well written. I always worry about that. Thank you for the shower of compliments! It means a lot.**

**I apologize that this has taken a while to get up, but I forgot that I was going to Union College when I posted up 18. So I've been gone for like five days, and I haven't honestly completely thought out how I'm gonna write this, so we'll see how it goes, and hope it's good. =D Wish me luck!**

For about a month after I was taken, there was no sign of the Joker; no break ins or robberies, not even a glance on a security camera. He had just disappeared. Granted, it was a nice break, but it was beginning to worry everyone at MCU. For those four blessed weeks, we did paperwork on various things (i.e. drug busts, mob shootings etc.), but of course, there was the on-going investigation on who Batman really was. Nobody knew, except me. That night in the train would always come back to me when people began discussing the case. For me, on the other hand, I was forced to take a few days off for my well being or for counseling sessions Dad set up. I never went to them, but he never knew. I still had nightmares every night, so I didn't get much sleep. The only person that really knew what had happened was Dad. I only trusted him with this stuff. When I was at work, I was locked up in my office pouring over every lead that we had gotten on the Joker. I looked everywhere that I possibly could. I looked for things that we missed, but still we got nothing. No solid leads that could lead us to him… The only thing that we could hope for was to catch him in the act, which was going to be harder than it sounded.

Tonight, I had beaten my dad up to the roof. Since I had been taken, Dad had made it a habit to turn the bat-signal on every night, even if he didn't come. He stayed up there to watch it, and hopefully, get a chance to talk with Batman. I, frankly, found it relaxing, so most nights I would lay up there on one of the thicker concrete ledges and keep my dad company.

I laid in the darkness waiting for my dad to open the door and pull the lever to project the sign that most of Gotham knew as protection. Finally, he came and pulled the lever. My crossed legs were illuminated and he realized that I was here… again. "Alex, I thought I told you to go home," he scolded.

I folded my arms beneath my head and squinted to see stars. "I could say the same to you, Dad. You're up here every night too," I pointed out.

He shrugged as he crossed his arms across his chest and leaned up against the wall with his legs crossed. "So, anything interesting?"

"Nope," I sighed.

"Alex, how long has it been since you've actually been home?" he asked in a soft, fatherly voice. He hadn't really gotten over the fact that I had been taken; in fact, I thought that he might be taking it worse than I was.

I sighed heavily. "I don't know, Dad. It's not like it matters. I can't sleep anyway."

He glanced over at me. "I can tell," he acknowledged sadly. "I can see the circles forming around your eyes."

"You gottem too!" I snapped back.

Silence.

The door opened and Det. Ramirez walked out with two cups of coffee. She handed one to my dad, as she greeted him. "Ever planning on seeing your wife again, Lieutenant?" she joked, apparently not noticing me, which I was fine with.

I just closed my eyes and listened to them.

"I thought you had to go look after your mother, detective?" Dad shot back, slightly defensively.

"Checked her back into the hospital," she informed quietly.

"I'm sorry," Dad apologized genuinely.

There was a moment of silence before she spoke again. "He hasn't shown?" The 'he' was Batman.

I opened my eyes and sat up to see Dad staring into the circle in the sky. I decided to make myself known. "Often doesn't."

Ramirez jumped quite a bit at the appearance of me.

Dad and I chuckled. "But I like reminding everyone that he's out there," he explained.

"Why wouldn't he come?" Ramirez wondered.

"Hopefully," I began, walking over to them, "because he's busy." I smirked.

She shook her head and made herself comfortable.

I grabbed Dad's mug and took a long swallow of the warm liquid. I gave him the mug back and headed to the door. Just before I was going to go downstairs, my phone rang. I picked it up. "Gordon."

"Alex," a voice growled from the other end. It was Batman.

"You couldn't have just come down here," I remarked.

There was a faint laugh across the phone. "There are more pressing matters which you will know shortly."

I rolled my eyes. He knew everything before we did. "So what's up?"

"I have the Scarecrow, a few mobsters, and some more of my impersonators down at the parking garage by the theatre."

I glanced over to Ramirez. "We got the Scarecrow and others at the theatre parking garage," I announced proudly. "Somebody should go get them," I suggested to Ramirez.

She took the hint and headed back downstairs.

"Thank you," I breathed into the phone.

There was silence on the other line. He had hung up. He could never complete a conversation with us; he just told us what we needed to know and left.

I held my hand out for the mug, and it was given to me. I took another drink of the warm caffeinated beverage. I handed it back and rubbed my eyes. Dang, I was tired, but I couldn't go to sleep without having nightmares.

Dad set the white police mug on the concrete ledge, and did something that he hadn't done in a while. He came up behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders as he began to rub gently. "You're really tense," he commented.

I tilted my head as he rubbed my neck. "That's probably from lack of sleep," I sighed.

I could picture him nodding behind me as he continued to rub my shoulders and neck.

My phone rang again. I rolled my eyes as I answered it. I walked away from my dad, out of habit, nothing else. "Gordon."

Dad shook his head at me as he leaned back on the ledge with his coffee. He titled his head towards the bright light in the sky, listening to me.

"Sergeant," one of the newer officers started on the other line, "the Joker hit another bank."

Damn! Our month of break was finally over. "Where?" I demanded as I smoothed out my ponytail in frustration.

"Gotham National," he informed briskly.

"I'll be there," I sighed as I snapped my phone shut. I looked over at the questioning eyes of my dad. "Joker hit again."

Dad took another swallow of coffee. He didn't say anything; he just sighed. He wasn't very happy about this at all. He sort of tensed up. Generally, when the Joker hit, it wasn't just one place once; it was utter chaos. He went on a maniacal rampage.

I sighed and walked over to the door. This wasn't going to be fun, but it was my job, my case, and my promise to Martin. I pulled it open and looked at Dad. "Should probably get over there."

He nodded and followed me out of MCU.

When we finally got to Gotham National Bank, there were all ready hundreds of press people there with their flashing cameras. I let Dad handle them as I ducked inside the bank. There was a huge, gaping hole in the wall where something big had obviously gone through. There was shattered glass by the bank manager's office was; he was about twenty yards from there with what looked to be a pipe bomb in his mouth. The Joker's cronies were still lying on the floor where they had been shot. I gently pulled away the masks of one of them to see Billy's face. So much for him not knowing anything about the criminal world. I shook my head and went to the officer that had called me.

"When did this happen?" I asked calmly. It was a trick that I had developed early on: Stay calm at crime scenes no matter how gruesome. (A) It's easier to get the truth out of people if you're calm, and (B) you think better with a calm mind.

"About four this afternoon," he stated. "It happened at about the same time as school got out."

I tried to keep my calm, but no matter how hard I tried, I wasn't going to let this one slide. "Four?! Why the Hell am I just now finding out about this?!"

He tensed up. "Uh….I don't know, Sir… Ma'am! We were called to the scene only a while ago."

I was not happy about this. "How did nobody notice that?" I threw my hand at the hole in the wall. "What the Hell went through there?"

"A bus," he whispered sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but we really didn't know."

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips. "How does nobody notice a gaping hole in a bank?" I wondered.

He shrugged and handed me an envelope. Then, he left.

I pulled out the contents of the envelope: a few stills from the security camera. He didn't care about us seeing him. I looked around me and saw Dad coming in through the doors. I headed over. "Sorry 'bout that, but—"

He cut me off. "Don't worry about it. Whatdya got there?" he asked, gesturing to the envelope.

I pulled out a picture. "He just can't resist showing us his face."

Dad sighed and held the picture in his hand as we entered the bank safe, with hardly any money in it. "What's he hiding under that make up?" he wondered.

I shrugged. "It's not good what ever it is," I commented.

Dad put the picture on the metal table and looked up to see Batman standing in the doorway.

I walked to the doorway. "Hey, guys!" I yelled to the forensic workers. "Could you give us a minute?" They nodded and headed to a different spot of the bank.

I turned around to see Dad holding up the picture for him to see.

"Him again," Batman mused. "Who are the others?"

"Just a bunch of small timers," I informed. "I had dealt with one before. Believed that he really wasn't involved in the crime world." I lowered my head in shame.

Batman looked at me with his hard dark eyes. He glided across the room and placed his radiation detector over the bills, which tested positive.

"Detectives have been making drug busts with them for weeks," Dad said proudly.

"This bank was another drop for the mob. Makes five," I stated.

"We've found the bulk of their dirty cash," Dad added.

"Time to move in," Batman stated in a gravelly voice.

"We have to all the bank simultaneously. SWAT teams, backup."

"What about this Joker guy?" I asked.

"One man or the entire mob?" Batman countered. "He can wait."

"He's not good news for us," I muttered as I placed a finger on the scar that stretched half an inch across the left side of my face from the corner of my mouth.

He ignored me.

Dad took up the lead. "When the new DA gets wind of this, he'll want in."

"Don't tell him," I said smartly. I got a glare from Dad.

"Do you trust him?" Batman wondered.

"No," I stated honestly.

"Be hard to keep him out," Dad ducked the question. He stuffed the money in the evidence folder as I stared out into space. "I heard he's as stubborn…," Dad looked back up, "…as you are." It was too late; Batman was gone.

**Okay, again, I'm really sorry that it took so long! I really am…. I haven't really had a huge epiphany with this chapter. It's a little harder to fit Alex in in TDK because Gordon has a bigger part in the movie. That equals less time for Alex, but it will all work out, trust me. There will be more nightmares and Alex/Bruce. I have surprises in store for all of you ;) I won't tell you though. Haha! Since I highly doubt I will get a chapter up before Valentine's Day; Happy Valentine's Day or Single Awareness Day. Remember, there's the little button down there that says review. Please click and tell me what you thought. =D**


	20. Chapter 20

**Blpaul—Yeah, it going to get difficult, but I wasn't complaining either. Gary Oldman is amazing!!! Lol**

**Hannah—Patience is a virtue, remember? It will happen and I hope that it will be as good as I'm imagining it (Yes, I'm getting ahead of myself here=)**

**LS—Glad that you liked it. Hope your Valentine's Day went well.**

**Madelineex3—Thank you for the huge compliment. I'm glad that Alex is your fave character. I hope that you continue to love and enjoy it.**

**Sabre—Yeah, I would never complain about Gordon! The last scene in the movie gave me the idea to do this story, sorta. He's also my fave character; well, besides Bruce, but Gordon is definitely #1. I'm glad that you enjoyed it, despite the language. I know that you have issues with that, and I promise that I will continue to keep the language down to a minimum. I'm think I'm with you on Feb. 14, Sabre. Single and proud! **

**Bmangaka—Yeah, he vanishes. He's good for that sorta thing, and does it a lot.**

**Okay, so I don't have much to say about this chapter other than I don't know how long it will be. It may be kind of short, but I am reading the script so that I know the plot line backwards. Wish me luck.**

_There I was, back in the warehouse. The cold concrete on my knees and the knife in my hand. My hair was hanging down my shoulders, and I stared down at the face of who I was expecting to be Martin. It wasn't; I stared down into the face of my dad. He stared up at me with frantic eyes that were begging me not to do it, and I wouldn't do it. There was no way that I could. I made myself clear._

"_No! I won't do it! You can't make me!" I screamed as I stared into the wildly painted face of the Joker._

_He smiled, showing his yellowed teeth and laughed. "You're right I can't!" He walked over with another knife and placed it against my neck. "But one of you will… umm…. Die!!" He laughed again._

"_No!!" Dad cried out as he reached out towards me. He did the same thing that Martin had done and pulled the knife towards him._

"_No! I won't do it!"_

_Somewhere a distant voice called out to me. "Alex! Alex, wake up!"_

My eyes shot open and it was then that I realized that I had been screaming. I snapped my mouth shut and stared at the frantic face of my dad before wrapping my arms around his neck and probably squeezed the air out of him. I was breathing hard, and I could've sworn that I was sobbing even though there were no tears.

Dad held me gently in his arms and stroked my hair. "Shhhh, it's okay," he whispered into my ear.

"Daddy," I whimpered repeatedly.

He kept soothing me until I finally was able to control my breathing and let go of him. I pulled the hair tie from my messy ponytail and ran my fingers through my wavy dark brown hair. I closed my eyes and tried to completely rid myself of the dream, but it didn't work. I heard Dad pull a chair around so that he could face me; the screeching of the chair against the concrete floor was a horrible sound. Dad took my hand in one of his and pulled my chin so that I would face him with his other. My eyes were still closed, but I could picture his face clearly. I slowly opened my eyes and stared into his. A silent understanding went between us through our eyes; well, I knew that he knew that I had been having a nightmare. He didn't question it; he just squeezed my hand.

"Daddy," I breathed as he got up from the chair and closed the door.

"Alex, it's gonna be okay," he assured.

"But, Dad," I protested as I began to regain my composure, "it wasn't Martin in the dream. It was you."

Dad was silent. He had set his jaw hard. It was hard to tell whether he was angry or trying to keep from crying. He wrapped his arms around me. "It's okay. I'm still here; it was just a dream. I'm still here," he assured in my ear.

I nodded and pulled back from the hug. I pulled my hair back and began looking from the case file from the robbery the night before. I tried to ignore my dad's piercing stare. He hadn't left, and he was still staring at me. I turned my head to see him sitting with his hands folded and elbows on his knees. He stared at me through his glasses. "What?" I demanded.

He shook his head. "Just thinking."

"Lame excuse," I laughed, but I let it go. "What are you up to today?"

"I got a meeting with Dent about hitting all the banks," he answered.

"Two-face," I growled. "Be careful, Dad, and send my love," I groaned sarcastically.

Dad laughed. "Maybe that's why he asked to make sure that you weren't coming."

"Yeah, I 'cause I got more balls than he does," I laughed.

Dad glared. "C'mon, Al, watch the language," he scolded.

I rolled my eyes. "You know it's true."

He shrugged in defeat. "That may be, but still."

"Get outta here, Dad!" I joked. "Go have fun with our masquerade friend."

He laughed as he got up and walked out the door. Before he closed it, "Don't cause too much trouble." He walked through the office to the elevator and descended to the floor.

I smiled as I grabbed the case file from last night's robbery. It wasn't as thick as the rest of the file on the Joker; yet, still we had nothing on the guy called "the Joker". I pulled out the other pictures that we had of the Joker and compared them. I shivered at the same demonic look he had on his face in every picture. He just looked totally deranged. I shuffled all the pictures into a stack and put them in a place on my desk. I began to compare what had happened, like how things were planned out. They were different every time. It seemed as though, this time, the bank manager got in the way. Of course, it was, mostly, a mob bank, and the manager probably knew it. I shook my head as I put the files down. Being the hero in a hostage situation never worked out, unless you were the police, with backup, otherwise, it just didn't work. No fingerprints were ever left behind, I noted as I continued comparing files.

There was a knock on the door breaking my concentration.

"Come in!" I called as I placed the files in the basket on my desk.

The door opened and Johnson poked his head in. "Hey, Alex." He opened the door all the way and came in. He sat down across from me.

"What's up?" I wondered.

He sighed and pulled out a picture from behind his back. "I thought you said that he wasn't involved." He pushed the picture across the desk.

I looked at the picture of Billy, the kid with the Southern drawl and that "Aww shucks" attitude. I mentally kicked myself, but I still felt like being a smart aleck and pulling out my own picture of Billy's dead body. "Yeah, I know what I said," I settled for instead.

"So why the Hell did we find him at a crime scene with a clown mask on?!" he yelled as he jammed his finger into the picture. He wasn't sitting anymore.

"Sit down!" I ordered.

He sheepishly sat down, obviously embarrassed about his outburst. "Sorry, Sergeant."

I sighed. "Don't be, just make sure it doesn't happen again."

He stared at me. "What about this Billy kid?" He gestured to the picture again.

"We make mistakes," I stated. "Some cops lose their badge, some their life, and others just go on living with that mistake."

Johnson nodded slowly. "I guess it doesn't really matter now, does it?"

"No, not really."

He got up, tore the picture, and left.

The door was shut, leaving me back to my filing.

**Okay, it's short!!! I know, and I apologize! Hopefully the next one will be longer. School's getting to the point where it's all that consumes my mind since it's the end of the year. Sorry that it's short, and I hope that it was good. Remember: little button that says "Review." Click it please =)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry, I would have posted this Sunday, but, as some of you know, the stupid thing wouldn't let me long on until today. **_**Brief inconvience **_**and **_**Few minutes**_** my butt!!! Anyway, here it is.**

**Hey all! Just wanted to say hi to all of you for some unknown reason, but HI!!!! **

**Other—I don't know who you are, but thanks for reviewing. There will be more and more romantic scenes as the story goes on. I all ready have two, maybe three, for the rest of the movie. Glad that you like it though.**

**Hannah—I apologize for the shortness, and now that I think about it, I should've added the beginning scene to the last chapter, but I didn't think of that until after I had posted it. Hopefully, this one will be extra long because I'm putting four different scenes in here. Glad that you liked it anyways.**

**Blpaul—I get the laziness thing. It's okay. I'm glad that you reviewed anyway! Lol Yeah, I have quite a few semester projects that are beginning to fill up my mind since it's getting close, and we've been having lots of tests, so my brain has been dead for this story. Hopefully, I'll get it up and going again.**

**Sabre, or should I say, Sneaky?—At first, I had no idea who you were. Sorry. Yeah, I know that you don't like the language, so I'm sorry for what I do use. What do you mean, "Sorry I didn't review earlier." Well, I hope that you're doctor appointments went well. I always hate them. Thanks for loyally reviewing.**

**Well, I don't have anything to say here, so let the story begin.**

After about another half an hour of looking through witness statements that were actually viable and other various things I was working on with before Dad even came back from the DA's office. I was still watching the security footage when Dad burst through the door of my office and started pacing. He didn't say anything, but he just walked back in forth in my small but comfy office, running his hand through his hair.

I paused the chaotic movie playing on my computer screen and looked up at him with patient, but inquiring eyes. I knew that he would tell me eventually, otherwise he wouldn't be here, but still I let him pace to his heart's content.

As I had predicted, he eventually stopped pacing and sunk into the chair across from me. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "I think I might kill him, Al."

I laughed, knowing whom he was talking about. "What did Dent do this time, Dad?"

He pulled off his glasses and rubbed them on his tie to clean them, but he didn't answer.

"Dad," I coaxed.

He finally gave in. "He wanted to meet him, and…"

"Him who?" I asked.

He looked at me like I was an idiot.

Oh! Batman! Duh! "Oh! Go on."

He laughed. "He criticized MCU beyond all belief." He paused only for a second. "It's not my fault that I have to have crooked cops as my men, but I will stand up for them none the less." He jabbed his finger at the air in my direction.

I raised my eyebrow. "And here I thought I was the only one with outbursts," I joked.

"Oh don't worry," he added, "he added you in too. You couldn't have been forgotten, oh no! He had to bring up his name, Two Face, and bring in that you started it, and blah, blah, blah." He sighed and finally calmed down.

I laughed for a little bit at my own father's outburst.

He stared at me blankly. "What's so funny?'

"Really?"

He nodded.

"You are always the calm, cool, and collected one in our unit," I pointed out. "It's not like you to have an outburst."

Dad shrugged at my correct point. He sighed. "Still, I swear that Harvey Dent is a no good SOB for this city, and I certainly don't need him breathing down my neck!"

I laughed and rolled my eyes. "True."

He sighed again and ran his hand through his hair again. "You finding _anything_ on the Joker?"

It was my turn to sigh as I shook my head. "Every lead I get runs to a dead end."

He nodded slowly.

A few days past, and, surprisingly, we had gotten the warrants for raiding the banks. Today was the day to go. Dad was at one bank, Stevens was at another, Ramirez at another, me at a fourth, and Wilson at the last one. Harry had dispersed his men among us so that we could have better enforcement. So here we all sat, at different banks, with our bulletproof vests on for the signal to go. I fiddled with the warrant that I held in my hands. It felt lightweight, but heavy at the same time. I got a text from Dad; _Time to move in._ I nodded to Harry and got out of the car.

His men burst through the doors ahead of me. I walked in, holding the warrant in my hand. The bank manager met me in a rage. I shoved the warrant into his face. He read over it and told me to go out back. I told Harry as I drew my gun and headed to the back. There was semi loaded with bags of money. It was too late. I cursed and headed into the vault with my gun still drawn. There were empty bags on the floor and rows of our marked bills. "Damn it!" I yelled. I put my gun back and called Dad.

"Too late?" he predicted.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Let's head back to MCU," he said and hung up.

I nodded my head and headed back.

Night slowly consumed Gotham into a velvety haze, but the lights from the ongoing world refused to let it completely settle. The cars continued to dart back and forth in a busy frenzy. A few small stars pinpricked holes of light in the black sky, but the only way someone would notice them was if they were looking up directly at the sky, which is what I was doing this night. I had my feet propped up on the desk, but I had long ago taken off my shoes. I was one of those people who only wore shoes because they were needed. I folded my arms behind my head and closed my eyes. I glanced over at Dad in the office across the hall. He was chatting on the phone to some unknown person, probably Barbara. It was going to be another long night for us. I was slightly surprised that Dad hadn't turned on the bat-signal, as we had begun to call it. Generally, it was by now.

I looked back out the window to where the circle with a bat-shaped void normally was. I gasped and let my feet fall to the floor. I got out of my chair and made it across the hallway in about two seconds. I threw Dad's door open, leaving a trail of wind behind. "Follow me!" I yelled and headed to the stairs. I heard Dad following me as I rounded onto the last flight. I pulled out my gun and I heard Dad follow my lead.

The door burst open to show me that Dent and Batman was up there. I stuffed my gun in its holster and walked over to the floodlight, which Dad had all ready turned off.

"Lau's halfway to Hong Kong," he informed. "If you'd asked, I could have taken his passport. I told you to keep me in the loop," he blamed. Oh! So it was our fault now.

"Oh yeah? All that was left in the vaults were marked bills," Dad explained.

"They knew we were coming!" I vented. "As soon as you office got involved, there's a leak."

"My office?!" he exclaimed. "You're sitting down here with scum like Wuertz and Ramirez…" He glared at me, noticing how pissed off I really was. "Oh yeah, Gordon, I almost had your rookie cold on a racketeering beef."

"Oh, don't try to cloud the fact that clearly Maroni's got people in your office, Dent." I about punched him in the face, but Dad held me back. I rolled my eyes and stormed downstairs, vowing never to let Dent get involved in this office's business again. I drove home to maybe relax. I knew that I wasn't going to get anywhere on the Joker case tonight anyway.

When I finally got home, I crashed into bed, not expecting to actually fall asleep, but the next thing I knew, the sun was shining into my bedroom. I lifted my head up and rubbed my eyes. I didn't even manage to get changed before falling asleep. It's amazing what the body does when it's exhausted. I didn't have any nightmares; I just blacked out for…I looked over at the clock for confirmation: 9:45. Crap! I grabbed my phone to call Dad and apologize. I all ready had like ten missed calls from him. I listened to the one voice mail he left.

"_Alex, where are you? It's…" there was a pause as Dad clearly looked at his watch for the time "…9:30. Call me when you get this." The line clicked off._

I deleted it and called him. It rang and rang. "C'mon. Pick up."

"Gordon."

Finally. "Hey, Dad."

"Where are you?" he demanded.

I really felt like saying "I'm not twelve anymore," but I kept to the sensible answer. "I just got up."

"You were asleep?" he asked incredulously.

I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "Well, I _was_ exhausted," I pointed out. "Besides, you've been the one bugging me that I needed to get a life outside of the office." I waited for Dad's criticisms and headed to the kitchen to make myself some coffee.

"If you're not in by noon," he threatened, "….I don't know what I'll do, but you won't like it."

I laughed. "You're bluffing."

"No, I'm not," he reproached. "Be down here at noon." The line went dead.

I rolled my eyes and went to the apartment door to get my copy of today's newspaper. I picked it up with my coffee in my other hand. I looked at the headlines: nothing really interesting, except for the one in the arts section. Apparently Bruce Wayne had taken the entire Moscow ballet on a cruise. I shook my head. Typical. Still, I read through the article. _I didn't have anything to do_, I reasoned with myself. I plopped down on the couch and flipped to the article. I read through it and then looked at my watch. It was only 10:30. I finished off my coffee and set the mug on top of the newspaper. I got up and went to take a shower.

Finally, noon came and I headed into the office. I was wearing a white shirt with a royal blue sweater vest and khaki pants. I had my wavy brown hair up in a ponytail, which was pretty customary. I still had my leather, riding jacket on when I walked into my office, but of course my dad was waiting for me. He was sitting in my chair with his glasses perched up high on his nose.

"Did you have a relaxing morning?" he asked with a little bit of an annoyed tone to his voice.

"Dad, I'm sorry," I defended.

He laughed. "Don't worry about it, Al. Just make sure it doesn't happen again." He patted my shoulder and walked out of my office.

I rolled my eyes. "Why haven't I been fired yet?" I murmured.

A few days went by with no sign from Batman, the Joker, or Lau, whom we assumed was in Hong Kong. There was no progress in any case; not my case, Dad's case, or Wuertz's. Sure, there were a few other cases, but they were open and shut cases. I was pretty sure that Batman was in Hong Kong picking up Lau for us. I was pretty much positive that Bruce Wayne was Batman, but I wasn't going to tell anyone!

I had gotten to work before the sun even thought to poke it's head over the horizon to make a few phone calls on a different case that I was working on. I wasn't getting anywhere with the Joker case, so I got assigned another one. I looked out of my door at around 6:45 to see opening the door to his office.

"Mornin' Dad," I called out across the hall.

He looked over and waved. "Mornin', Al." It was the same thing every morning, even if our roles were reversed.

Another hour went by with nothing worth mentioning before Ramirez ran to Dad's door and knocked on it. "Lieutenant!" She looked over at me as Dad's door opened. "Sergeant! Please guys, you're gonna wanna see this."

I shrugged and followed her outside. Dad and I took the lead as we walked down the stairs into the alley. It was definitely a site to behold: leaning up against the concrete wall, there was Lau with a paper sign duct-taped to the front of him. The sign read _Please deliver to Sergeant and Lieutenant Gordon_. Wilson, and few officers were gathered around laughing. Dad put his hands on his hips and shook his head. I was smirking up a storm, glad that the media wasn't here, but enjoying myself none the less.

Dad jerked his head towards the building and the officers got Lau inside. This was going to be a good day.

**Okay, it's about my normal length. It is a little short though. If any of you are the praying type, can please pray for Ken Harper's family? He's been dealing with cancer for a while and he died last night, 2/21/09. He's a close friend of mine. Thanks. =) Review please.**


	22. Chapter 22

**My dearest readers, I apologize greatly for not writing in forever. It has been over a month. I really apologize. I lost my spark for this story once school got really busy. I do apologize because this really is such a fun story to write. *sigh* I can't apologize enough. Please forgive me and continue reading. Okay, off to the reviews.**

**Lady Slone—Thank you for the compliment.**

**IluvOdie—Thank you so much! It really means a lot.**

**Sabre—It's totally okay. I don't mind at all. Yeah, being sleep deprived sucks! Eventually it just wears you down to smithereens (such an awesome word). I'm glad that you're not as sick as you were, and I certainly hope that by now, you are completely well. Thank you for praying.**

**Blpaul—Definitely one of my fave scenes too! Such a great sight. Thank you for reviewing.**

**Johanna—I don't mind, and I totally understand. Getting situated must be hard. Glad that you liked them, and thank you for praying.**

**Hannah—He looks so incredibly pathetic, but it is so deserved. Here's more, and sorry for the wait.**

**Other—Thank you for reviewing again, I think! lol I have to agree with you! It was such a pain because I had the chapter ready for a while, but I couldn't get it posted. Thank you! Dent really was kinda the bad guy in MCU so I thought it would be a cool twist on "Gotham's Off-White Knight." Glad that you liked it.**

**Haha21—I was beginning to get the impression that I had offended you, and if I had, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Here's more.**

**Again, I apologize. Please forgive me, and enjoy this next chapter. Also, I didn't like Keira Knightley being Alex, so I found someone better: Abigail Spencer in **_**Angela's Eyes**_**. I think it's fitting. So hope that you guys like it.**

I looked around at the guys as Wilson jerked Lau up. Wilson untied the rope binds and led him inside. I looked at the other guys and smiled. This was really entertaining. What was more entertaining than finding him on the ground was the protests that he made when we pulled him inside.

"That's harassment!"

"Shut up, Lau!" one of the officers fired back. We all laughed at Lau's expression, but it earned us a glare from Dad.

"What?" I asked innocently. "You know this is entertaining."

He smiled broadly at my accuracy. "Ya got me, Al."

"My lawyer will have all of your badges!" he threatened. Like I hadn't been threatened with that before.

"Very scary, Lau," I feigned. "I'm shaking in my boots." I was actually wearing boots I realized with a laugh.

He glared at me, but the officers just laughed.

We made our way back inside MCU to be met by Rachel Dawes and Dent. Why did he have to be here? Really? We only needed one DA, but I kept my mouth shut. We made our way to the interrogation room and Wilson slammed him into the metal chair. He closed the door and headed back to behind the mirror.

"What do we do now?" he wondered out loud, asking no one in particular but preferably Dad or me. It wasn't.

"We wait," Dent responded with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

Wilson caught my eye and stuck his tongue out at Dent and then flipped him off when no one was looking.

I let a burst of laughter come from my mouth, which got everyone looking at me. I looked over at Wilson, who was laughing too. We were both shaking our heads.

"What are you laughing at?" Dent demanded.

I quickly realized that I needed to make something up. "Oh, just something that happened yesterday. Wilson reminded me of it, and I couldn't help but laugh."

Dad looked at me and then glanced at Wilson and immediately knew that we were lying. He nodded to me. "Yeah, it was pretty entertaining," Dad agreed with me and shook his head in his fatherly manner.

I felt my cheeks grow hot under his scrutinizing eyes. "So why are we waiting?" I changed the subject. I knew the answer, but it was probably a good idea to change the subject.

Rachel looked at me like I was an idiot. We weren't really the best of friends, but we were on pleasant terms. It wasn't like we worked together all the time. "Lau won't talk until his lawyer is here."

I nodded as I saw the door of the interrogation room open and Lau's lawyer come in. He was older with very light brown hair that was thinning to the point where he had a bald spot on the back and a comb over. He had a very long, pointy nose, but he looked powerful in his charcoal business suit, white striped Oxford shirt and red-checkered tie.

"I'm taking lead, Harvey," Rachel purred as she walked out.

I rolled my eyes, accidentally catching everyone's eye.

"Leave her alone," Dent hissed.

I stuck my hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm honestly not jealous," I said snidely. "It just makes me sick that someone is actually in love with you!"

"Alex," Dad warned. "Tread lightly."

Dent was glaring at me with daggers in his cold blue eyes.

I shrugged and sat down with my arms and legs crossed.

Wilson sat down next to me. "Nice, Al."

"That one's gonna bite me in butt eventually," I retorted but laughed anyway.

"Yeah." He laughed.

I turned my attention towards Rachel. She was sitting down now. "As will everyone." She looked at Lau, who just stared back at her. "No? Well, enjoy your stay in county, Mr. Lau." She got up and walked towards the door.

"Wait," Lau called. What a wimp, I thought. "I won't give you the money, but I'll give you the names of my clients. All of them." Not bad, but he was still a wimp.

"You were a glorified accountant," she pointed out. "What could you possibly have on all of them that we could charge?"

"I'm good with calculation," he stated. "I handled all of their investments. One. Big. Pot." Score! There goes the mob, if we were lucky.

Dent slammed his finger down on the recorder to save what had just been said. "I've got it," he boasted. He turned to Dad, expecting that he would know what he was talking about. "RICO. If t heir money was pooled, we can charge all of them as one criminal conspiracy."

Dad understood. I saw him nodding.

I got up. Screw my hatred of Dent; my hatred of the mob was stronger. "Charge them with what?"

Dent was so excited t hat he completely forgot what I had said earlier. "In a RICO case, if we can charge any of the conspirator with a felony—"

Rachel had walked in unnoticed, but completed Dent's sentence, "—we can charge all of them with it." She snapped her fingers in their moment of genius. She walked back into the courtroom.

I was standing next to my dad at this point, excited that we were going to get the mob.

"Mr. Lau, do you have details of the communal fund? Ledgers, notebooks?" We did need evidence.

Lau smirked. "Immunity, protection and a charted flight to Hong Kong."

"Once you've testified in open court," Rachel agreed. "So with all your clients locked up, what will you do with all that money?"

Lau's smirk broadened. "As I said, I'm good with calculation."

"He can't go to County," Dad said with finality in his voice. "I'll keep him here in the holding cells." He had also noticed the wimpiness in Lau. He wouldn't last an hour in County; we both knew that.

"What is this, Gordon?" Dent asked. "Your fortress?"

I clenched my fists. That was so out of line. I opened my mouth to say something, but Dad reached back and covered my fist with his hand. He somehow managed to remain calm.

Dent looked at my face and smiled in victory. He wanted that reaction out of me.

"You trust them over at County?" Dad wondered.

"I don't trust them here," he informed.

"Well, they don't trust you either, Dent," I spat. It was an accident. I really didn't mean to say anything.

Dent glared.

"Lau stays," Dad decided.

"It's your call, Lieutenant," Dent agreed. "Be right."

"I am, counselor," Dad affirmed.

Dent walked out with Rachel.

"Damn, he pisses me off," Dad vented.

I laughed and shook my head. "I know. Good job keeping your cool. I didn't."

His eyes softened knowing that I felt ashamed for what I did. "Alex, you're fine. He deserved it, and maybe it will break down his ego… eventually." Dad sighed. He walked out of the observation room and headed upstairs.

I sighed and nodded at Wilson, who followed me up. I was about to walk into my office, but our secretary/receptionist ran up to me.

Wilson waved as he walked over to his desk.

The receptionist handed me an ivory envelope. "This came for you, Sergeant."

"Thanks, Mol." I turned it over. _Miss Alexandra Gordon_ was all that was written on the front.

She nodded and headed back to the main desk.

I walked into my office and pulled open the shutters to let in the natural sunlight. I sat down in my chair and leaned over the desk with the envelope in my hands. I stuck my finger underneath the tip of the triangle that sealed it shut. It smelled of vanilla. They must've used some sort of scent to seal it, and it was really amazing. I pulled out the piece of paper that had black cursive writing on it.

_You are cordially invited to the fundraiser of Harvey Dent._

Whoever sent this obviously didn't know me very well.

_Where: Wayne Penthouse_

_When: September 14 7:00 PM_

_Attire: Black Tie_

What the Hell was he thinking? I didn't like Dent, and I didn't have any money.

There was a note at the bottom that Bruce had written himself.

_Alex, I know that you won't be donating any money, but I just wanted to see you again. Hope that everything is all right. And you can be security if anything happens._

_Bruce_

I smiled and taped the invitation to the computer. Now I had to find a dress. I smiled and relaxed with Bruce Wayne filling my thoughts.

**Okay, so it's kinda short. I'm sorry, but it has been a while. I hope you like it and please review. I'll hopefully get another chapter up sooner than this one. Love you guys lots. Remember, little review button there. Bye.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Wow! Thanks guys for understanding the huge break and liking it nonetheless. Thank you sooo much. Beware: Joker gruesomeness; you've seen the movie so you know what it is. Thought I'd put that out. Maybe, just maybe, we'll have the fundraiser scene. ;)**

**Sabre— It shall be interesting. I'm very glad that you're better. It has been a month so if you weren't by now, I'd be worried. Here's more.**

**Lady Slone-- *hugs back* I am very sorry that it took so long to update. Glad you like the Dent/Alex relationship. It's entertaining to write, and trust me there will be more. Mwahahaha! Don't ask about the evil laugh.**

**ILuvOdie—Thanks for understanding. Glad that it's still awesome.**

**Johanna—While you haven't been reviewing, I haven't been writing, so it's all good. Don't go insane. I need you around! Glad that you liked the chapters. The party will be very interesting. I have something major up my sleeve that makes me smile just thinking about. Hehehe**

**Hannah—Good to hear from you! Yeah, you should probably update too. Here's more, and glad that you liked the chapter.**

**Blpaul—Yes, formal event which included Al in a dress! Shall be interesting. Thanks for the encouragement. Yeah, Darth Real Life bugs the crap out of me!**

**Bmangaka—Sorry it's short, but I'm glad that you like it.**

**Okay, I'm not promising the fundraiser scene yet. Either I'll have it in this chapter or the next, promise.**

Dad knocked on my office door causing me to jump and ex out of the window. I was looking through online archives of the department store dresses. I was honestly a little nervous for this. It would probably be pretty stupid, but still, Bruce Wayne was going to be there, and he invited me because he wanted to see me again. I blushed as Dad looked over my shoulder.

"What were you looking at, Al?" he questioned.

"Nothing," I said as innocently as the kid caught with the cookie from the cookie jar.

He snatched the invitation off the computer before I could hide it. He read it over quickly and looked down at me. I knew that I was blushing, but smiled anyway. "You're special, Alex."

I glared at him.

"Nah really," he insisted. He stared at me. "You don't wanna go, do you?"

I thought about it. He was right, but wrong at the same time. "I wanna… I wanna see him again, but not like this. I just don't feel like I'm really that included."

He nodded and sat on the edge of my desk with the invitation in his hand. "You like him, don't you?" he asked quietly. It had been a while since I had heard him that quiet, genuine, and somber; since the night I spent at his place, actually.

I met his eyes. They wanted an honest answer, not something that I could make up. I nodded with the most sincerity I could muster. "Why? Is there something wrong with it?"

He shook his head violently. "No, no! Of course not!" He sighed. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

I nodded and decided to change the subject. "So why did you come here, Dad? I know that it wasn't just to spy on me! You've matured out of that," I joked and laughed.

He rolled his eyes with a smile on his face. "How do you know?"

We laughed harder.

"No," he said seriously. "We gotta go find Maroni and his pals. Dent found something on all of them."

I pulled my fist down over my face in victory. "Where are they?"

"Some Italian diner," he informed. "Lunch."

I nodded and grabbed my coat off the rack. "Let's go."

We pulled up to the diner with about twenty patrol cars. I guess there were going to be a lot of guys. We all walked in; Stevens, Ramirez, and Wilson were the other detectives with us. The rest were patrolmen. I smirked to Wilson as we walked in.

"They're never gonna see it coming, are they, Wilson?"

He looked at me and shook his head. His short black hair was ruffled by the sudden movement. "It will be entertaining to say the least."

"Oh yeah!"

Dad pushed open the door and held it for me. Then I held it for Wilson, who held it for Stevens, who held it for Ramirez and it went on.

Dad and I made it into the main part after showing our badges to the unsuspecting waitress. I smirked at the servers' faces. Dad pulled out his handcuffs and it caused a chain reaction of cops pulling out handcuffs. I held mine tightly in my hand.

Dad stared up at the TV, where Dent was answering questions for the press about Lau. He looked over at me. "Our boy sure looks good on the tube, huh, Al?"

I glared at him but played along. "Oh yeah."

Sal Maroni looked at us with narrowed eyes. "You sure you wanna embarrass me in front of my friends, Lieutenant, Sergeant?"

I laughed and shook my head. "Don't worry, they're coming too." This was just going to be too much fun.

Dad pulled Maroni up and cuffed him and led him outside as all of our men came in arresting parts of the mob. Wilson had managed to get two, which he was quite proud of.

I heard Stevens tell one of them, "Have a nice trip, see you next fall," as he shoved him into the cop car.

One of them grabbed my ponytail and yanked hard. "Hey, pretty girl, I think that handcuffs are kinky." The guy was seriously hitting on me.

"Try that again," I dared.

The guy grabbed my butt.

I grabbed his arm and strongly spun him around and slammed the cuffs on him. "See if you think they're kinky now," I said as I squeezed them as I tight as I could around his wrists.

"Owww!" he yelped as I led him out side.

A couple days later, all of them had been convicted on various accounts of things. It was entertaining to listen to I have to admit. Everyone was pleading innocent or guilty and then there was the roar of defense attorneys. I was just glad that it was over and it was time for me to go pick up gown for the fundraiser tonight. I blushed just thinking about it.

I headed to the department store where I was going to be spending more than half my weekly salary. There was no way I was going to be getting jewelry, but oh well; there was nothing I could do. Besides the dress was pretty enough that I didn't need jewelry. I walked through the maze of clothing as I thought about that night. I finally found the lady in the dress department. She was holding my dress in one of those bags. She smiled at me as I walked up to the counter.

"Miss Gordon?" she asked politely. Her dyed red hair was pulled back so tightly I swore that she would never get wrinkles.

"Yeah," I nodded.

She laid the dress on the counter and rang it up on the cash register. "Two hundred and thirty dollars."

I let out a whistle at the price, but I still pulled out my wallet and laid the cash on the counter. I figured I was going to regret this, but the dress was nice. I thanked her and took the dress out to my car and began to drive back to my apartment to get ready. I was fighting the traffic when my phone rang. I cursed as I reached over and grabbed the phone connected to the charger and answered.

"Gordon."

"Hey, Al," Dad answered with worry in his voice.

"What's up Dad?"

"Can you meet me at the mayor's office?"

"Aww, you're not gonna tell about the meeting?" I whined.

"It was fine," he groaned. "Just get here." There was a click of finality on the line.

"Yeah, sure, Dad. I don't have any other plans for the day," I mumbled as I threw the phone onto the passenger seat. I saw patrol cars heading to the mayor's office and figured that's why Dad called. I continued to battle traffic to get there and stepped out of my car to be greeted by a bunch of press people, but luckily they ignored me and were more focused on where Dad was.

I walked up to the yellow crime scene tape to be blocked by a patrol officer. "Sorry, Ma'am. Police officers only." Must be a new guy.

I sighed and pulled my coat away so that he could see my badge. "Sergeant Gordon, Sir. Lemme pass."

The guy nodded and stepped out of my way as I ducked underneath the yellow tape. I walked up to Dad avoiding the people that got in my way. This must be some pretty big thing for there to be this many people. I stood next to Dad and followed his eyes: up. There was a black body being lowered down the ground by a crane. My hand covered my mouth: it looked like Batman. It couldn't be. It wasn't. When he was lowered to the ground, I lowered myself down to my knees to get a better look at him. His face was painted white with the telltale red smile of the Joker. A joker card was pinned to his chest. _Will the real Batman please stand up?_ was written on the card. I looked at the forensic investigator kneeling beside me.

"Run that for prints, DNA, anything," I ordered.

He looked into my eyes and nodded and slowly took it off.

"Run the rope too," I added.

He again nodded.

I walked back to Dad. "Thank God it's the not the real Batman," I whispered to him.

Dad nodded. "What are we gonna do about this?" He gestured to the slightly overweight man in black hockey pads and knee/elbow gear.

I matched my father and set my hands upon my hands on my hips. "Knowing the Joker he's not going to stop at this." I looked at Dad and saw his unbelieving look. "Trust me, Dad, I've memorized all the cases. I know his style."

"Did you predict this?'

I shook my head, seeing his point. "This is different than what he normally does, but he's not gonna stop at one. I know that much."

Dad nodded and watched them wheel the faux Batman into the ambulance for him to be taken to the morgue. "Poor guy," he mumbled.

I nodded. "Dad, I'm gonna swing by apartment to grab some stuff since I have a feeling that I'm not going to be able to get ready there."

He looked at me in surprised, and then nodded. "Right. You got that party tonight."

I nodded.

"Yeah, sure," he agreed. "Bring your stuff back to MCU and you can get ready there because, as you said, this case isn't gonna give ya much time to change at home." He smiled at me in a fatherly way.

I shook my head and let out a small laugh as I walked back to the unit's car. I drove peacefully back to my apartment with the radio blasting. I was totally zoned out, and it was a nice change. I got to my apartment building and rode the elevator up to my level and began rummaging through the bathroom for my straightener, make up, and anything else I needed. I slammed all of it into a bag and was about out the door when I remembered my shoes and bag. I cursed and ran back to my pathetically small closet. I looked through my shoes and found a strappy pair of black heels that had sparkles on them. I bobbed my head deciding and clenched them in my hand as I grabbed a silver clutch and rushed back out the Chevy SUV. I drove back to MCU, not even bothering about the rush hour traffic because there was nothing I could do about it.

I finally reached MCU and walked into the building with the keys to the car and my apartment stuffed in my pocket and the dress, shoes, clutch and makeup in my hands. I realized I couldn't open the door with my hands full. I smiled as I slammed my hip up against the handicap opener. Thank God for automatic door openers. I hopped in the elevator with Ramirez as she headed up to our level.

She stared at me. "Going somewhere interesting tonight, Sergeant?"

I looked at her with a glint in my eye. "I'm going to one of Wayne's stupid fundraisers." I shook my head, still not seeing the point of going.

She raised an eyebrow. "Bruce Wayne?"

"Yup."

"His fundraiser for Harvey Dent?"

Again, "Yup."

"I thought you hated him?"

"I do," I confirmed. "He said I could go as security."

She laughed. "That's good."

I nodded and the doors opened.

Dad stared at me with this look of "Where have you been?"

I shrugged as he grabbed my arm and dragged me to one of the computers. "Look at this," he said harshly.

_Crap,_ I thought, _what did I do this time?_ I stared at the screen.

"We found this on the body," Dad explained and pressed play.

It showed the faux Batman sitting in a chair with his head hung.

"Tell them you're name," I heard the Joker say coyly.

"Brian Douglas," the faux Batman responded quietly.

"Are you the real Batman?" the Joker prodded.

"No," Brian said sadly.

"So, then, why do you dress like him?" the Joker asked childishly.

"He's a symbol," Brian explained. "That we don't have to be afraid of scum like you!" His courage had come back.

The Joker cackled and I felt my mind reeling and stomach clenching. I would forever hate that laugh. "But you do, Brian. You really do." He cackled some more. "You think Batman's helped Gotham?"

Brian had lowered his head again but nodded nonetheless.

"Look at me," the Joker ordered quietely.

Brian didn't move.

The Joker roared, "LOOK AT ME!"

I jumped in spite of myself. I would never forget what he did, and it sent shivers down my spine listening to him. I felt warmth on my back and noticed that Dad had in fact seen me jump and was comforting me. I smiled.

The camera had been violently swiveled around to show the Joker's face. That chalk white face with the contrasting red smile.

I closed my eyes and turned away.

"This is how crazy Batman's made Gotham." I wasn't going to disagree that he was crazy. "You want order in Gotham? Batman has to go." He leaned in. "So…Batman must take off his mask, and turn himself in. Everyday he doesn't…" His tongue flicked out, and I felt shivers creep down my spine covering me in a chill. "People will die, starting tonight. I'm a man of my word." It cut to static.

I closed my eyes again. "He's not lying, Dad. We need to take extra precautions."

"I know," he nodded and handed me a small, girly revolver. "You're taking this tonight. Wayne, Dent, Rachel and a bunch of other influential people will be there tonight."

I smiled. "You know, it doesn't really go with my dress."

He shook his head. "Go get ready."

I nodded and headed to my office. I looked over my shoulder, "Hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Release that to the press. People need to know what we're dealing with."

He nodded and I closed the door to my office.

I closed the blinds on the window in my door as I stripped of my slacks and Oxford shirt. I pulled off my tank top and bra as I pulled out my dress. It was floor length, strapless, and satiny. It started out at the top with royal blue and slowly faded to black at the bottom with sparkles randomly placed. I smiled as I stepped into it. Now, I reached my problem; I couldn't tie the back. I held the dress in place and called for my dad. He came in and pulled tightly on the laces in the back.

"Ow! Dad, that's a little too tight!" I complained.

He loosened it a little bit. "Sorry, but I don't want it falling down."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad," I said as he finished tying the bow.

"Turn around," he ordered softly.

I complied and let the fabric spin around the floor at my ankles.

"Gaw, you look absolutely gorgeous!" he awed.

I blushed as I shooed him out. "I still need to do my hair and make up." I plugged in the straightener and began applying foundation. In about half an hour, the sun had begun to set and I was just doing my hair.

Dad knocked on my door. "Al, it's 6:15. Hurry up."

I rolled my eyes as I pulled the curling iron out. Yeah, I know I had just straightened it, but I needed to make sure it would look good. I let half of my hair hang down my back in curls and somehow managed to get the top half to stay in this curly sort of bun thing. I looked myself on the powered down monitor of my computer and smiled. I looked hot! I pulled on my shoes and grabbed the bag that had my badge, phone and revolver in it as I walked out the door.

Dad smiled. "You look beautiful, Alex."

I blushed. "Thanks, Dad."

He led me to the door. "Flass is gonna escort you there."

"Dad," I pleaded, "you know I think he's a bad cop."

He raised his hand. "That may be, but he's the only option tonight. I'll call you if anything happens; you do the same." He leaned in and kissed my forehead.

I pushed him away. "You'll mess up the make up."

He laughed. "Good luck." As I walked out the door to Flass, I heard him say, "My little girl really has grown up."

I smiled and got in the car.

**Okay, next chapter will have Bruce/Alex. I promise you that. Yeah, I know that there's father/daughter fluff in there, but I can't help it. =D All right here's the link to her hair: **http://www. **Sorry, I don't have the dress, but I made it up since I couldn't find anything that looked like that. I hope I described it enough for you. This was my normal length so please don't say it was too short; it was actually a little long. Okay, review people! Bye!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks all of you for mentioning that the f***ing link isn't working. I'm sorry so I'll type it up again with hopes that it will work. You won't be able to directly click on it, so please accept my apologies for you having to typing it in. www. 2promhairstyles. com/ wedding-hairstyles. shtml I do deeply apologize about this. It was supposed to work.**

**Hannah—Nothing bad happens to her on the way there. She's fine and …. Well, you'll just have to read the chapter to find out. ;) Yes, there will be a Joker encounter, but not quite as bad as the previous one.**

**ILuvOdie—Yay!! *bounces up and down like an idiot* Wish me luck because writing romance isn't really my strong point, I regret. I hope it turns out as well as I have imagined it.**

**Lady Slone—Well, I'm glad that you like it because it's insanely hard not to write in this fic. There will be a couple more moments in the near future, maybe. I guess you can ask about it, but I don't have an answer…. **

**Madelineex3—Glad you like it. Here's more.**

**Haha21—Okay, good. Hey, I get the whole busy thing. Obviously! lol Glad that you thought the father/daughter fluff was cute =)**

**Sabre—Yeah, I figured that out…. O well. It's frustrating though. Glad that you enjoyed it lots. Here's more.**

**Okay, guys, there is **

The elevator doors slid open and classical music filled my ears. I really hoped that Bruce didn't honestly like this stuff, but walked out of the elevator anyway. I got a few looks from people, making me smile nervously. I reached my hand back to run down my ponytail and remember that my hair was in a different style that was incredibly fragile. I sighed and ran my hands down the dress. I crinkled my toes in the uncomfortable heels and hoped that this party wouldn't be long. I didn't see a single familiar face as I scanned the crowd. _Great_, I thought as I rolled my eyes. I felt someone tap my shoulder and spun around, hoping to see Bruce. It was Alfred.

"Miss Gordon," he greeted.

"Now, Alfred," I scolded, "what did I tell you to call me?"

"Sorry, Alex." He smiled and held out the tray of tall champagne glasses, "Would you like one?"

I sighed heavily. "I'm on duty, Alfred, but I might be tempted." I looked around looked around at all of the guests. They all had one, and I gave one. "I guess, but don't tell my dad about this."

He smiled and shook his head. "Never."

I sipped idly at the champagne, instantly hating it, but tried to seem polite. "Where's Bruce, anyway? I haven't seen him yet."

Alfred shrugged and said, "Not here apparently," as he walked away.

I stomped the floor mentally as he walked away. _Why? Why? Why?_ I knew him and he left me to the rich and perfectly well off wolves. I let my shoulders had and held a death grip on my clutch as I followed Alfred to the elevator. Harvey Dent was here, along with Rachel. I pursed my lips and went to a corner to hide in, observing all.

Dent grabbed a glass of the champagne and almost downed the entire thing in one swallow. Someone was a little nervous. I smirked at him. He got engaged in a conversation with Alfred and Rachel was just wandering alone. Maybe we could get along for one decent conversation.

I pushed off the wall and walked over to her. "Hey, Rachel."

She looked at me like I was crazy. "Hi, Alex."

"Do you know anyone here?" I sounded like the nerd trying to talk to the popular girl, but I knew her. I knew I was going to regret this conversation and this fundraiser later, but it was too late.

She shook her head. "Just you, Harvey, and Alfred. Bruce apparently couldn't be bothered to be here." She looked me from toes to hair. "You look nice."

I smiled. "Thanks. You look nice too."

We heard the chopper land outside, and Bruce stepped out of it with a girl on each arm. I felt my heart drop at the sight and realized that it was stupid for me to get my hopes up. Still, I remembered what he had said at the coffee shop. His smooth voice rang out, silencing everyone. "Sorry, I'm late! Glad that you started without me." His eyes scanned the faces, but they weren't looking for me even though they paused a second on me. I smiled. "Now, where is Harvey?" he asked. He spotted him. "Ah, Harvey Dent" He let his hands swing freely out. "What about Rachel Dawes?"

The crowd parted, and I gave Rachel a gentle push into the open.

"Rachel, my oldest friend. When she told me she was dating Harvey Dent, I had one thing to say… the guy from those God-awful campaign commercials?" There was a quiet roll of laughter. I, myself, was included, but I was sure glad that I wasn't Rachel, or even Dent. Dent smiled uneasily in embarrassment, but Bruce continued on. " 'I believe in Harvey Dent.' Nice slogan, Harvey." Yeah, I remembered that. "Certainly caught Rachel's attention, but then I started paying attention to Harvey and all he's been doing as our new DA. And you know what? I believe in Harvey Dent." He swiped a glass of champagne from one of the servers was carrying around. "On his watch, Gotham can feel a little safter. A little more optimistic. So get out your checkbooks and let's make sure that he stays right where all of Gotham wants him." He raised his glass. "All except Gotham's criminals of course. To the face of Gotham's bright future, Harvey Dent." Beautiful speech. Everyone was taking sips of champagne, all but me.

People began to mill about and mingle again, but my eye caught Bruce walking out to the balcony with Rachel following him. I sighed as Dent walked up to me. "What do you want?" I asked hopelessly.

He tilted his head. "Why are you here?" he asked with an edge to his voice.

I thought about it. "No idea." It was honest, and I really didn't feel like making a scene of myself here. "I heard you almost got shot the other day." I was trying to make conversation. I may have hated his guts, but I knew him and talked to him more than once in my life.

He smiled as he recalled the memory. "Yeah. I should actually be dead."

I thought of the endless possibilities that that could open up. "How so?"

"If the gun wasn't loaded, I would have two bullets in me."

I had the nerve to laugh but decided not to. "How does that make you feel?"

"You're not my damn therapist!" he hissed.

"Nor would I like to be," I hissed back. I narrowed my eyes for the added effect.

He cast a glance over his shoulder at the balcony. At Rachel. I could definitely tell that he wanted to ask her to marry him.

"Go get her," I encouraged.

"What?"

"Neither of you will be around forever," I pointed out. "Tell her how you really feel."

He smiled. "You're not that bad, Gordon." He walked across the room.

I smirked. "Not that bad," I mumbled. "Two face." I strode over to the balcony door where Bruce now stood alone. I took a deep breath and walked out there. My shoes clicked on the tile service. I leaned against the railing and realized that I was still holding onto the champagne. I looked at the trees below me and tossed the champagne onto them.

There was a chuckle next to me. "I did the same thing," he explained.

"Champagne's really not my thing."

"What would you prefer?"

"Beer," I answered simply.

He looked at me and smirked. My heart melted, leaving me weak in the knees. "It can be arranged." He raised his arm as if to signal a server and glanced at me.

"Don't," was all I said.

He laughed. "All right."

The question refused to leave. "Why did you invite me to this event? You know I won't support Dent."

He moved closer to me. "You look beautiful tonight. Absolutely radiant."

"I hate dresses," I mumbled shyly, fully aware that I blushing furiously, "and you didn't answer my question."

He laughed and brushed away a piece of hair that had fallen from the bun on top. "I all ready told you, unless you can't read."

I laughed. "I can, but it doesn't make sense to me."

"Not much in this town makes sense," he said sadly.

I nodded in understanding.

He was standing closer with his head poised over mine. He smelt amazing with whatever cologne he was wearing. His brown eyes looked deep into mine. "You promise not to run away again for eleven years?"

I tensed and backed away, but his hand latched around my waist. This wasn't what I had in mind, not that it was bad. I just didn't want to explain my running away. "It's different than what you think," I defended and reminded myself that he wouldn't understand not having any money.

He gently pulled me back to him and whispered, "I don't care why. I just don't want you to do it again."

I swallowed and looked into his eyes. Neither of us spoke for a while; we just stared at each other, nothing more than a breath away. It was like an ice cube separated our lips, and it was slowly melting away.

I smelt his breath. It smelt of vanilla and peppermint. "Your breath smells great," I breathed. I felt like an idiot for saying it, a total and complete idiot. I, honestly, wasn't good with this sort of thing.

He let out a whisper of a laugh.

"Crap," I swore. "I'm sorry." I turned away.

He cupped my chin his surprisingly smooth hand and moved my head to face him again. He moved his face closer to the point where I could feel the presence of his lips, but we weren't quite touching each other yet. I closed my eyes as his hand entwined itself in my hair.

_Ring! Ring!_

"Damn!" I swore in a whisper.

"You don't have to get that," he convinced onto my lips.

"Yeah I do," I said backing up and grabbing my phone out of my clutch. "Gordon."

"Alex," Dad said swiftly, "we got ourselves a problem."

Bruce grabbed my hand gently.

I looked at him; I was still blushing. "Can't it wait?"

"No," he argued. "The DNA came back from the card on Brian."

I made a face. Why did this have to happen now? "And?"

"Judge Sarillo, Commisioner Loeb, and Dent."

I sighed, knowing what that meant. "Dent's fine. What about Sarillo and Loeb?"

Bruce moved closer to me, hoping to get information.

I stuck up hand to show that this was business.

"Dead," Dad cursed. "We were too late. Dent's our only shot to stop him. I'm sure glad that you're there right now."

I nodded even though he couldn't see me. "All right. I'll make sure that we catch the bastard tonight. He's gonna make an appearance, I know it."

Dad sighed. "Good luck, Al. You're gonna need it."

_No, I'm gonna need Batman._ I looked at Bruce as I hung up the phone. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "Kinda ruined the moment," he joked.

I laughed.

"What did he need?"

It was confidential, but if everything I thought about Bruce was correct, he was Batman, and that was who I needed tonight for help. I opened my mouth to say something, but decided against it. If he wasn't Batman, I could and would lose my badge for this. _Go by the book, or get possible help_, my conscience told me. I sighed, really hoping that Bruce was Batman. "The Joker took out Judge Sarillo and Commissioner Loeb. The only other DNA was Dent's. The Joker will show up tonight, here. We have to stop him." I was screwed.

Bruce nodded and walked out, leaving me on the balcony. I was shivering but not from cold. I was going to have to face the Joker alone if Batman didn't show up. I closed my eyes blocking out memories of Martin and went back inside to await my fate.

**Okay, that was crap! Total and utter crap! I can't write romance, and it was just crap! *sigh* Oh well, I really don't feel like rewriting it. Review please. Hope that you liked it. Bye.**


	25. Chapter 25

**I was beginning to get worried that I wasn't going to have many reviews, but then you all came through. Thanks guys! =) And apparently I didn't do too bad at the romance! YAY!!!**

**Lady Slone—Yeah, I totally agree about the romance writing, and thanks for the compliment. Well, maybe not soon enough, but yes soon.**

**ILuvOdie—Glad that you liked it. Joker time!! Mwahahahaha**

**Hannah—Thanks, and I'm sure that it wasn't that crappy. Here's more.**

**Johanna—Thanks!!! **

**Hrsracer00—I'm glad that it at least fit, and I hope that I can write it once it's needed. You're totally right, and I will become one with the story, I guess. Thanks again.**

**Haha21—Well, I think as the story progresses there will be something, I'm not saying what, but there will be something. I'm not exactly sure how, but maybe. I see your point though about him not being romantic and being afraid to lose loved ones, just like Alex. Maybe it will work, but maybe not.**

**Sabre—Okay, glad that you enjoyed it. Yes, it is a fun scene, and Dent deserved it all the way. HAHAHA!!! Definitely one to make you laugh.**

**Masqueradewitch—Glad that you liked it. This was as fast I could update. It will be interesting, and you'll just have to read to find out.**

**Okay, Joker time!!!**

I walked back in, not knowing what to do. I didn't have any backup, except for Flass, but he wouldn't help me. I saw Dent and Rachel talking. I rolled my eyes at his stupidity and stood in a corner waiting for the Joker to show up as I dialed for backup, and grabbed a hair tie and slipped it on my wrist. It was going to be there in five minutes, I was told before the call was ended. I continued to watch Rachel and Dent, but he looked disappointed at Rachel. She probably said no. I covered up a smile. Something needed to break down his ego, but what was really making me smile was Bruce walking up behind him. He closed his forearm around Dent's neck and opened up the pantry and shoved Dent inside.

"What are you doing?!" Rachel squealed loud enough for me to hear.

I couldn't hear Bruce, but I could read his lips. "They've come for him."

At that precise moment, as Bruce locked up the pantry, the elevator doors opened and Flass stood there with his badge up. He was pushed over by the Joker. "We made it," he said quite normally.

I froze as I saw the pathetically dyed green hair frame his freakishly white face with that red smile. No matter what I did, I couldn't stop the images of Martin from rushing back into my eyes. I saw the shotgun fire and the rich people back away from him, but all I could hear were Martin's screams. I tried hard to fight them away, but no matter how I tried it didn't help. I saw his pleading face with my hair down; I couldn't go through this again. I needed to be here for these people that hadn't worked an honest job in their lives. "Great time to freeze up, Gordon!" I yelled at myself in a whisper.

I finally snapped out of it to see the Joker staring evilly at some old guy that had nerve. "We're not intimidated by thugs."

"You know? You remind me of my father." He chewed the rest of the shrimp he was eating before grabbing the man's head and sticking the knife to his cheek. "I hated my father."

"Okay, stop." Rachel stepped out. I desperately tried to grab her wrist and pull her back, but it was too late. She had more guts than me.

The Joker looked at her and began walking towards us. "Well, hello, beautiful," he said coyly as he brushed the oily green hair from his face.

I turned my head and slowly lowered myself and began crawling to the other side of the room. I had a plan up my sleeve, but it needed Batman. Where the heck was he? How long does it take? I accidentally ran into someone.

She looked down at me. "What are you doing?"

I wish I had brought my badge. "Gotham PD. I know what I'm doing," _I hope_. "Now don't bring attention to yourself." I must have looked like an idiot sneaking across the floor, but that's why I normally wore pants. I finally reached the elevator when I heard that telltale growl of Batman. I closed my eyes, thanking God that he had come.

"Then you're gonna love me." He punched the Joker in the face.

I stood up. I was about to shout "GPD!" How would that help me? It would only cause more panic. I reached the closest thug and slammed my elbow down at the base of his neck, causing him to fall to the ground, unconscious. One down; I didn't want to count how many there were left. Luckily, all were surrounding Batman, but he was taking them out rather quickly. I saw the Joker grab one of his thugs to get the thug to catch Batman by surprise. I could've easily grabbed the gun and shot the Joker, but I froze for that split second as Batman was knocked to the ground. This was a time when pants would've helped, but I went to help him anyway. He was up but the Joker had gotten a knife out of shoe and stabbed him, and he was still screwed. I was able to grab the thug and pull him off of Batman. The Joker met my eyes and smiled as he grabbed a gun on the floor and held it to Rachel's head.

Everything stopped, and everyone's eyes were on the three of them. Thankfully, they had given up on me because I looked a mess; the dress was torn in places, I had a cut on my arm (it was small), bruises everywhere I hadn't managed to dodge and my hair had fallen completely out. I slipped the hair tie off my wrist and pulled my hair back to a normal state and stared at the elevator, waiting for doors to slide open and the SWAT team to come storming in.

"Drop the gun," Batman ordered. He looked fierce, but there was a shiny wetness flowing from his suit where the Joker had stabbed him and his chest was heaving in tiredness.

"Sure," the Joker agreed. Now for the catch, "Just take off your mask and show us all who you are."

No! That was one thing that would completely ruin everything, but that was his goal. I saw Rachel shake her head, and I really hoped that he would listen. The Joker shot the glass and it shattered. He held Rachel at arms length over the city.

"Let her go," he growled.

He cackled. "Very poor choice of words," and let her go, as Batman had requested. She fell out of the window. Batman followed.

"GPD! Freeze!" I ordered the Joker as I held a gun that I had grabbed from one of the unconscious thugs.

The Joker looked at me as he stepped into the elevator. "Another time, Sarg." The doors shut and he was gone.

I cursed and let the gun hit my side. I heard the quiet banging on the pantry door and pulled the mop out of the door handles. Dent spilled out.

"Where's Rachel?"

I shook my head, defeated. "She's safe." Everyone was safe as long as Batman was around.

"And Wayne?"

"Who knows?" I lied. "Must've hit another party joint."

The elevator binged and everyone stepped back. A SWAT team from MCU walked through the doors and, after making sure that the area was secure, began to arrest the thugs that were just now waking up. Dad strode in with his gun drawn. He holstered his gun and went to my side.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

He looked me over. "What the Hell happened to you?"

"You would've known if you had shown up earlier," I accused. "Maybe we could've gotten the frickin Joker!" I felt a tear trickle down my bruised cheek.

Dad took my hand and led me to a chair by the fireplace and grabbed my purse. He held in his hand as he squatted down to my level. "This isn't about me or the SWAT team; it's about you and Martin isn't it?"

I nodded and wiped away the one tear that had fallen. "I froze up, Dad. If I hadn't frozen he could've been caught."

He shook his head. "No. You went through some incredibly frightening things and still managed to walk into work the next day. The fact that you froze up means nothing."

I cut him off. "Yes it does. We don't have him in custody because I froze up." I wrung my hands together in frustration.

"Relax. I know that we'll get him." He had this look on his face that said, "Eventually," and the lines seemed deeper.

"Yeah, when pigs fly."

He cracked a smile.

I smiled back and slid my feet out of the uncomfortable heels. I leaned my head back. "Can I go home now?"

He laughed quietly. "Of course. I'll drive ya there." He took my hand and led me to elevator in my bare feet.

The tile was cold, but it was such a nice relief to the uncomfortable shoes I had been wearing all night. I clutched the torn dress in my bleeding hand and wondered how I got the cuts on my knuckles. I shrugged and stood by the doors of the elevator, vowing that I would never go to one of Bruce Wayne's parties again. Work just always seemed to get in the way, but for some reason, I liked that a lot more than a personal life. Gosh, I was turning into a workaholic. I leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes as Dad was talking to Harry about the situation, which I was sure was under control.

Someone tapped my shoulder. "Thank you for tonight, Miss Gordon."

I rolled my eyes before opening them. "Your welcome."

"It was quite brave," he complimented.

It's my job, idiot! "Thank you."

He nodded, smiled, and walked away.

The elevator door rang as the doors slid open. Bruce strode out. "I'm so glad that you could make it, Alex, and I'm sure that I'll see you around." He winked and walked off.

I narrowed my eyes and shook my head. The man was crazy! I shuffled into the elevator with Dad's dress shoes clicking softly behind me, and the doors slid shut.

"Alex," he murmured, "are you sure that you're okay?"

I let my shoulders droop. "Gordon," I used for emphasis, and he spun around, "I'll be all right. Stop worrying!"

He glared. "I'm your father! It's what I do, Sergeant!"

I raised my hands up defensively. "I'm not mad; I just want you to figure out that I'll be okay."

The fire in his grayish-blue eyes diminished. "You're old enough to take care of yourself, essentially?"

I smiled. "Essentially."

The rest of the way of the way home was silent, minus the occasional cursing from Dad as he dealt with the strangely heavy night traffic and the faint sounds coming from both radios. I vaguely thought about the night because I was just so exhausted that thoughts couldn't form clearly in my mind. I leaned my head against the headrest and stared at the lights flashing by as we took a few turns to get to my house. My eyes eventually faded shut and my dad flicked me about ten minutes later.

"We're here, Alex," he chided.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm aware of that," I retorted.

He shook his head and flung the clutch at me as I stepped out of the SUV. "You might want this," he chuckled.

I sighed and waved as I walked into my apartment building and rode the elevator up to my floor. I fished for my keys in the clutch and stuck them in the lock and pushed into my dark and empty apartment. I let out my breath, unaware that I had been holding it, because I was thinking about the Joker being in the kitchen again. I sighed when there was no stirring and tossed the keys onto the table before walking into the kitchen to get a glass of water. I downed the glass of water and changed into plaid lounge pants and a t-shirt and sat on my bed. I stared at the picture of Martin that sat on the bedside table. I picked it up and clutched it to my chest, letting out a sob.

"Martin, I'm so sorry. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself." I gulped down a sob. "I will get him. I promise you that! I won't stop until he's caught." I laid down. And with the picture still clutched to my chest, I fell into a fitful sleep of nightmares.

**Okay, I like it a lot better than the other one. I hope that you do too. Review please! I need to continue working on my report for school. Peace!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Lady Slone—Glad that I'm your hero, I guess. =) They will talk eventually. I don't know when though. I do have a couple tricks up my sleeve however.**

**Hannah—Here's more. Sorry it took a while.**

**Haha21—Yes, it was short and rushed, but I don't think it was sporadic…. It could've been better, which is why I edited it. Hope this one is better. **

**Sabre—Thanks for the encouragement. Yeah, I feel sorry for her too, especially since it's not over yet. Nowhere close to being over. I get your viewpoint on the Joker; he is an amazing character, but a dark, evil, and sick character never the less. I don't mind the rant, and I think the reason why people like him is just because he seems so much more real than any of the other characters (yes, they all seem real). Also, maybe people try to see the good in him. I don't know. Sorry for my rant. Lol Don't worry about ducking the system. Glad that it was better, and I totally agree about the writing thing.**

**Fairy Skull—Glad that you like it.**

**—I'm glad that you like it sooo much. Sorry that it's taken a while. There will be some interesting things to come, if I write them right. **

**Blpaul—Lol I'm glad that you liked the action. I don't know how much more will be in the rest of the story. Hopefully some. =) Glad that you liked the party. **

**Okay, this may be the last chapter up before school's over. I hope that you all understand. It's the end of the year, so it's getting busy and I don't have that much time to write any more. It gets out in about a month, but I have sooooo many papers due in the next couple weeks. Sorry. Enjoy the chapter.**

The next morning I sluggishly got out of bed and moved to the kitchen for coffee, and ice. My face felt very tender and slightly swollen, and I couldn't move my fingers very well from the cuts and bruises on my knuckles. I laid an ice pack over my left eye that I could barely see out of. Dang fight! I put the coffee beans in the pot and poured water in there and waited for the coffee to give me some relief. I stuck a piece of bread in the toaster as I walked back to my bedroom and untied the dress. I set the ice pack on the dresser as I pulled on a pair of black pants and a white tank top. I would grab my shirt later. I slid back to the kitchen with the ice pack in hand and grabbed the toast that had managed to pop out of the toaster on its own. I smeared butter on it and looked down at my hand. The knuckles were a nice shade of purple with jagged lines of red through them. I rolled my eyes as I munched on toast. I checked the coffee, but seeing as it wasn't done, I moved to the bathroom to brush my teeth and hair.

I splashed cool water on my face to relieve a little of the aching and wash away anything that could be (i.e. makeup and dried blood). I opened the mirror and pulled out the toothbrush and toothpaste. I swished the brush in my mouth and spit it all out. I ran the comb through my hair and pulled it back in my normal ponytail. I looked in the mirror and gently touched the black eye, bruise on my cheek, and cracked lip. I looked as if I had been kicked really hard on the left side of my face, which was a very distinct possibility. I blinked my left eye, which hurt, and continued to keep the ice pack on it. My hands were beginning to feel better now. I grabbed a striped polo shirt and a denim jacket and went to the kitchen and poured some coffee into a mug as I slipped my badge and gun onto my belt. I stuffed my phone into my pocket since I had lost its case, and grabbed my keys. I downed the coffee and walked out the alley by my apartment building and straddled my bike. I took off for MCU.

When I reached the building, I didn't even bother taking off my helmet as I walked into the building. I stepped into the elevator and pressed the level that I needed. As I waited to get up to my floor, I pulled off my helmet and let it dangle in my hand. The elevator doors slid open and I walked to my office and dropped my helmet on my desk and walked back out the rest of the desks. I had caught a glimpse of Wilson sitting at his desk so I strode out and plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

"You're here early," I greeted.

He narrowed his eyes in fake anger. "I could say the same to you, Gordon."

I narrowed my eyes back. "Shut up. I'm always here this early. You're not."

He shook his head in amusement with a smile on his face. "What the Hell happened to your face?"

Figured that was gonna come up. "Got in a fight."

"I guessed that," he admitted. "I thought you were at Wayne's dumb fundraiser."

"I was," I stated. "Joker crashed the party."

"How fun for you."

"Oh yeah."

Our bantering was cut short when the doors opened and Stephens walked in. "Morning, Wilson. Gordon." He sat down at his desk and began filing paperwork.

Wilson and I just stared at him. There was no way that he was done, especially with the Commissioner dead. "How was the party, Gordon?" he finally asked.

I looked at Wilson. "Told ya."

"Did not."

I shook my head. "It was absolutely lovely, Stephens. What about your night?"

He looked up with one eyebrow raised. "It was okay. Commissioner's dead."

"I know," I said. "Such a shame." A little bit of sarcasm wouldn't hurt.

"You get hit by a car?"

I glared. "I got in a fight."

"Whatever," he dismissed as the elevator slid open again and Dad walked in.

"Morning all."

"Morning," we all said in unison. It amazed me that we went on with work as if nothing had happened last night. Was really possible that we were that jaded? Maybe it was a good thing. Maybe none of us cared that the Commissioner was gone.

Dad set his coat in his office and glanced at the holding cell that Lau was in. Lau was sleeping relatively peacefully. He probably wasn't comfortable however.

"We'll get him," Dad murmured as he walked into the main area of the office.

"Jim, it's over," Stephens scolded.

"As long as they don't get to Lau, we've cut off their funds," Dad defended.

I cut in. "The prosecution's over." There was no away around that. Our police force just wasn't as strong, and Judge Sarillo was blown pieces. Nobody was gonna stand up for us.

Stephens nodded at me. "No one's standing up in front of a judge while judges and police commissioners are being blown away."

Dad lowered his eyes. His eyes had defeat in them as he mentally went over options in his head. "What about Dent?"

"If he's got any sense, Dent's halfway to Mexico by now," Wilson brought up.

The door slammed open. "Where do you keep your trash?" So much for Dent having any sense.

I shrugged and got up. "C'mon."

"You look like crap, Sergeant."

"Thanks," I said as I tossed him a Kevlar vest for Lau.

We all followed him to the holding cell where Lau had woken up and sat against the bars.

I opened up the cell door.

"You're due in court," Dent declared. "I need you alive long enough to get you on the record."

Lau shook his head. "You can't protect me. You can't even protect yourselves."

I clenched the bar on the cell door so hard that my purple knuckles turned white, but I kept my mouth shut. I glanced at Stephens, Wilson, and Dad; they all had their jaws clenched tightly. It wasn't our dang fault. I hated to admit it, but the Joker was just smarter than us.

"Refuse to cooperate on the stand," Dent threatened, "you won't be coming back here. You'll go to county. How long do you calculate you'll last in there?" He tossed the heavy vest into Lau's lap.

Dent walked out. Dad jerked Lau out of the cell.

"Hey, Dent," I called after him.

"Not in the mood, Sergeant," he growled.

I smiled. "You may be a complete idiot that has no sense of anything, but ya got guts. I'll give ya that much."

He turned around with his face completely blank.

"Good luck."

He walked away.

"Ya two faced idiot," I added when he was far enough away that he couldn't hear me.

I stayed there the entire night digging into the psychological end of the Joker's crime sprees. Maybe something about the way he did things could help us figure out who he was. Maybe, being the key word. After the day shift left, Dad and I stayed in our offices as the night shift slowly filtered in. I turned on some music from the magical website, YouTube. It helped me concentrate, but as dawn approached, my phone rang.

"Gordon."

"8th and Orchard." It was dispatch.

"What's going on there?"

"Guy says that we'll find Harvey Dent."

"Play it back," I ordered. It was the Joker. I slammed my fist on the table and grabbed my coat. "Thanks." I darted across the hallway. "8th and Orchard. Joker got Dent."

"Damn it!" Dad stood up and grabbed his walkie-talkie as we headed out of the office. Ramirez followed us.

I slid into the unmarked cop car with Dad in the passenger seat. Ramirez was getting back up. I skidded out of the parking lot and tore down to 8th and Orchard. Dad turned on the sirens. I drifted to a stop by the building. I left the keys in the ignition as I hopped out of the car with my gun drawn. The uniformed cops took the elevator, but I sped up the stairs, seeing that it was only on the third floor. I kicked the door open and saw two men over the table with the telltale smile of the Joker on their faces. I closed my eyes and backed up into Dad, who gripped my shoulder.

"Snap out of it, Alex. It won't help you."

"Easy for you ta say," I snapped back.

"I'm trying to help you, so just shut up and focus on what's going on here," he ordered.

"Yes, sir, Lieutenant."

He glared at me and was about to say something back, but he was cut off by a low growl.

"Check the names."

"Morning, Batman," I mumbled as Dad checked the names on the drivers' licenses pinned to the victims' chests.

"Patrick Harvey. Richard Dent," he stated.

"Harvey Dent," I heard Ramirez whisper.

"Clever guy, isn't he?" I added.

"I need ten minute with the scene before your men contaminate it."

Gee, that wasn't a blow at all.

"Us contaminate it?" Ramirez steamed. "It's because of you that these guys are dead in the first place!"

"Hey!" I snapped.

"Detective!" Dad snapped in unison.

She hushed up and walked out.

Batman glided across the floor to the wall where a bullet was in the wall. He crouched down with a finger to the hole.

"That's brick under there," I commented. "You're really gonna get ballistics off a shattered bullet?"

"No." He pulled a saw off of his belt and held it to the wall. "Fingerprints."

"Suit yourself." I finally made it over to the table where Harvey, and Dent were slouched. I noticed the cards were all Jokers. Dad noticed too. I picked up the newspaper that was under a beer bottle to see if they were reading anything interesting. They were.

It was the Obituaries page; main person: Mayor Garcia. There was a red smile on his face with black eye makeup. _HA HA HA_ was written all over it with other little doodles.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast," I warned. "Cuz we found his next target. He's put him in tomorrow's paper."

Batman nodded and took his bit of plaster and brick and leaped out the window.

Dad glanced at me in wonder of our dark friend.

"He doesn't know about the wonderful invention of stairs, does he?"


	27. Chapter 27

**Okay, I'm aware that I forgot my normal little note at the end of the chapter. I was going to mention what comes next in the movie. I won't deviate and the Commissioner's funeral will happen with Gordon getting shot. It will be a very depressing chapter with possible memories and definitely tears. Lots of tears. Okay, time for review replies (I know I can do that via email).**

**Sabre—I totally thought that you were being random about stairs until I read the chapter. I have to admit that I would rather take the elevator compared to sprinting up two flights of stairs, but it fit Alex. Hope that you like this chapter as much as the last one.**

**Fairy Skull—I'm glad that you like it, and I appreciate the compliment. =)**

**Hannah—Thanks for the compliment. Here's more.**

**SerenityMoonlight—I'm sooo glad that you like it, especially the relationship that Alex and Dent have. =D**

**Sorry, it's taken so long to post this, but I got slammed towards the end of school, but I'm free for the summer now. Okay, time for tears.**

I walked into the office wearing black pants with a size too large white shirt and black suit coat. Today was Commissioner Loeb's funeral, and the day that, supposedly, the mayor would be shot. I tried to look sad, but it wasn't really working out very well. Everyone was wearing their best black clothes, which pretty much meant black pants, suit coat, white shirt and black tie for the guys. I fingered the badge at my waist as I waited for any instructions from my dad as he set up the positions for the snipers.

He turned to me. "Al, I want you to be on Garcia." He tossed me a Kevlar vest that was thinner than most.

I took off the suit coat and started to unbutton my shirt. "I'm assuming that you want this under my shirt?"

He nodded and continued, "We don't know where the Joker is going to be, but we know that he will be there."

I pulled the vest over my head and put my shirt and jacket back on. It was a little bit of a tight fit. I sat on the desk with a knot beginning to form in my stomach. I listened to Dad explain our game plan and we left for the funeral procession. I walked out to the car and sat in the passenger seat as Dad began to drive out to Parkside Avenue; it wasn't cleverly named considering it was by a park.

"You're quiet," Dad said lightly. His face looked completely worried but the smile on his lips made it to his eyes.

I smiled back. "I just have a really bad feeling about this, Dad."

"It's a funeral, Al. I got a bad feeling too."

I shook my head in slight frustration. "Not like that." I thought about how to explain it, but since I couldn't figure out why I just passed it off as being nervous. "Never been shot before."

Dad let out a chuckle as he slowed the car to a stop. "That's why you're wearing a Kevlar vest."

"Why me, Dad?" I asked as I stepped out of the car and wandered into the procession.

Dad strode next to me. "Because I know that you will dive in front of the mayor when the time comes."

I nodded. "Good reason." I saw Dad step onto the sidewalk to glance up at the windows with his walkie-talkie in hand. I looked up at the other side of the street but kept in the procession.

"Ya nervous, Alex?" Ramirez asked me.

I wavered my hand. "Only a little." I let the scarred corner of my mouth curve into a smile.

The bagpipes played on and I heard Dad talk into his radio. "Whadya got on the roof?"

One of the SWAT members answered. "We're tight, but frankly, there's a lot of windows up here."

I glanced up. He had a point. About fifty per row and there seemed to be endless rows. I kept glancing up and walked onto the stage that had been set up. I sat on one end of the mayor with a good look at the crowd so that I could pick out the Joker easily enough.

Mayor Garcia got up to speak. He stood at the microphone and began. "Commissioner Loeb dedicated his life to law enforcement."

I cleared my throat to hold back a snicker. Dad glared at me. I shrugged back.

"And to the protection of his community," Garcia continued. "I-I remember when I first took office, and I asked him if he wanted to stay on as Commissioner. I remember him saying yes as if it were the only thing in his life that he could do. He was dedicated."

I wanted to laugh again, but my eyes were too focused on the crowd. The 21-gun salute was soon, and that would be the perfect time to kill the mayor.

"Clearly he was not a man of offensive words, nor should he have been. A number of policies that he enacted as Commissioner were unpopular. Policies that flooded my office with angry calls and letters giving reasons to why we shouldn't be having them, but he always stood by them." The rest of the speech was a blur as adrenaline began to course through my veins.

That knot in my stomach began to fill up my entire being. My eyes darted about the crowd looking for any sign of the Joker; the scars were going to the most obvious sign if he was in the crowd. Out of nervousness, I grabbed my radio. "Do you guys see anything unusual?" It was just barely audible.

"Nadda," was the negative answer I received.

"We must remember vigilance is the price of safety." The mayor backed up, letting the honor guard take over. Go time.

I scooted to the edge of my seat ready to tackle the mayor.

The honor guard walked to place with their guns loaded and ready to fire. I closed my eyes and swallowed.

_Bang! _First shot. It was deafening as it echoed off the walls of the buildings. I glanced at every face in the guard, not recognizing any of them. They loaded again. _Bang!_ _Bang, bang!_ Not quite together. They weren't a trained guard. I began to study the faces. _Bang!_ Not the guard. I glanced up as the snipers fired at a window where a scope had appeared. Bullets sparked on the concrete buildings. I spotted it, but just a minute too late. The honor guard loaded again, but all the guns were pointed towards the stage. Dad must have spotted it before I did: the Joker was one of the "honor guard." He got up and tackled the mayor. The Joker fired the gun and everything seemed to slow down as I watched the bullet fly towards him. It hit him in shoulder blade, and the fabric of his jacket went into shreds. He fell to the ground onto his back.

My gun was drawn as I felt my feet leave the wooden floor of the stage. "Dad!!!" I collapsed onto the wood by him and felt a tear leave me face. It splashed onto his face. I smoothed out his hair and straightened out his glasses. I let myself hug him with my face pressed into his chest as tears spilled from my eyes. I clutched his sleeves and closed my eyes to hold back the tears that were coming.

I saw a gun appear by my head and I knew it was Stevens. He checked the pulse on my dad's neck, but I knew. He was gone. Gone forever; never coming back. I felt myself shudder as I began to sob. He was my only family left, and he was gone. Lost in the line of duty. _That's what he wanted_, I told myself. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"He's gone, Al," I heard Stevens say.

_I know that!_ I shouted in my head as more tears fell. I nodded.

"You need to let the coroner take him, girl."

I clutched him until my knuckles were white. I couldn't let him go. It would seal the deal. It was supposed to be me! I should've been laying there on stage, out of breath but alive nevertheless. It was my fault! I choked back a sob. I should've caught it sooner than that, but no, it was Dad that caught it and died because of it.

"I know it's hard," he soothed, "but he needs to go with the coroner."

I shook my head, but I felt two strong hands pull me off of him. I tried to fight whoever it was off, but to no avail. I was led to a somewhat less chaotic spot by the side of building where I pulled down into the stranger's chest. I felt their arms wrap around me as I buried my face into the soft cotton of their t-shirt and let more tears fall.

"Shh," they whispered. "You're gonna be okay." They rubbed their hands up and down my back. They continued to comfort and sooth me as my tears diminished, or so I thought, but they stopped falling.

"It's all my fault," I choked out.

My chin was cupped and pointed up to the face of my savior. "No, it is _not_ you're fault." It was Bruce. His brown eyes sparkled just a little bit in sadness. "It's not you're fault. Don't think that."

I closed my eyes. Why Bruce was there, I didn't know, and right now, I didn't care.

"Yes, it is, Bruce. I was the one that was supposed to jump in front of Mayor Garcia if anything happened." I unbuttoned my shirt to show him the Kevlar vest. "My dad wasn't wearing one!" I slammed my fists into his chest. "It's my fault." I felt one more tear trace a trail down my cheek.

He gathered me in his arms. "You're ok."

"That's the problem!" I snapped. "My dad should be too!"

He closed his eyes and held me close. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but being in his arms was helping me out just a little bit. Not a lot granted, but enough to keep me from doing something incredibly stupid.

I felt another hand on my shoulder. I looked up from Bruce's chest at Wilson.

"C'mon," he said quietly. "I'll take you back to MCU." He held out his hand for me to take.

I grabbed it and stood up.

Bruce stood up next to me. He smiled. "I gotta go."

I nodded and began to walk away. Wilson wrapped his arm around my waist to guide me to the car.

"Alex," Bruce called.

I turned around.

"I'm really sorry," he said somberly. "I really am." He walked away to an alley.

"So am I," I whispered and walked off with Wilson by my side.

**Okay. I know it's short, but the next one will be longer, trust me. More mourning in that one. There will be memories in that one. Again, I'm sorry that it took so long to get up. I really do promise that the next one will be longer, but this one had a good ending spot right there, so I did. Sorry. =) Hope you enjoyed it! Please review. =D It'd be appreciated. Clicky the button right there. Review please!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks for all the reviews. I really do love them.**

**Serenitymoonlight—Thank you for the compliment! I know, it really was the worst part of the movie… I cried when it happened the first time I saw it. I'm glad that Bruce was a good idea. I could decide if he would be or not. **

**Fairy Skull—Here's more. Glad that you liked it.**

**Lady Slone—I know that it was short… I'm sorry, but I thought that it was a good ending point. I'm getting back into the writing thing for the summer, which is good for you. More chapters, more often.**

**Sabre—Glad that you liked it! How could Alex have gotten shot? That woulda killed the story lol. I'm glad that you liked it. It took me a while to get it just right, and I'm so glad that Bruce was the right person to comfort her. Here's more.**

**Rawemotion—Glad that you liked it. Here's more.**

**Johanna—I know!! Here's more!**

**Hannah—In my story, he is, at some points… ;) Good luck with figuring out with what shall come with that statement. Hehe. Here's the next chapter.**

**Kmcracerx—Well, I'm glad that you found it too! =D Glad that you like Alex. Well, the Bruce/Alex relationship will become very obvious in the last chapter. ;) I'm not saying how though. She has been through a lot with the Joker, and I think that she'll get through it by the end of the "movie" though I'm not sure. I'm glad that you like it, and here's the next update.**

**Okay, as I promised there would be mourning in this and memories so **_**italics**_** are memories. Enjoy.**

When we finally reached MCU and walked onto the level that my dad and I had our offices on, I saw one person say something to everyone and they put everything down. Wilson led me into the room with everyone's eyes on me. There were hushed words fluttering about as I met some people's eyes. Rachel looked at me as she hung up the phone with tears in her eyes. She got up and hugged me tight. I pushed her off and walked into my dad's office. I sat in his brown leather swivel chair, just looking at the unkempt mess that spread across his office. I wiped at my eyes as tears welled up when my eyes spotted a picture on the bookcase on the other side of the room. I stood up and maneuvered carefully across the office and picked up the picture in my hands. I looked at it, remembering the day that it was taken.

_The sun shone down on a wonderful summer day. It must've been about mid-June when Dad, Mom and I were all lined up in the park. It was almost a year later that my mom died, and Dad wanted to take advantage of his day off and Mom still being around. We had gone to the park just for a typical, movie-like day; a picnic with a blanket and some kite flying. Mom would sit on the blanket laughing as Dad and I tried to get the kite to fly in the pathetic amount of wind._

_Eventually, some random guy came up as Dad and I were taking a break from the kite flying and were laughing and drinking some lemonade with Mom when the guy asked to take our picture. Mom kindly handed the guy the camera. He took the camera and waited for us to get situated. Dad kneeled down behind us with his one hand on Mom's shoulder and one on mine as I sat in Mom's lap. I heard Dad whisper, "The only people in the world that will ever matter to me." _

I felt a tear slip past my eyelid as I clutched the picture to my chest. "Daddy," I whispered. I couldn't help but holding my knees to my chest as I slid down the wall into the flood of files that had been tossed on the floor, apparently on the night that the commissioner died. Dad must've felt guilty for that. He was there when he died; maybe that was why he was so much on alert during the funeral. He didn't want another person to die that he was supposed to protect. It made sense, but it still should've been me! I cursed as I stood up abruptly. I lowered my head and sank back into Dad's chair. I felt a little OCD as I began to clear files away and organize his desk again.

There was a calendar underneath all the clutter with one day circled. Written in the circle was "Jenny's anniversary". The word "death" was scribbled out to the point where the paper was ripped all the way through. Dad still loved her. I always kind of guessed that, but I never actually knew until now of course. It was two weeks ago; I had missed it. There was a knock on the door, causing me to curse under my breath. I needed this time to be alone, to think about… stuff. The door creaked open.

"Buzz off," I mumbled.

"Al," Wilson said softly, "we ordered pizza if you want some."

I looked out into the sky, which was dark. Guess I was curled up in my hovel a little longer than I thought. I stared back down at the calendar and waited for Wilson to leave. He didn't. "Wilson?"

"Yeah?" was the reply.

"Leave." It was simple, and probably pretty harsh. I kinda felt bad as the door swung shut, but I wasn't expecting to feel a pair of hands on my shoulders. Something in my head said that it was Wilson just trying to help, but the part controlling my reflexes said it was bad. I drew my gun and held it to his head.

He backed off fast with his hands held up in defense. "Sorry, Al. I'm really sorry." He backed out of the door.

I dropped the gun on desk and lowered my head into my hands. I felt wetness seep onto my hands as I rubbed my eyes. I had just tried to shoot my best friend—okay, one of my best friends, not the point. I really hated today! I curse and let my hair out with one hand as it ran fiercely through my hair. I grabbed a pen from one of Dad's drawers and wrote on today's box in the calendar, "Dad's Death." I dropped the pen and looked out into the main area. The other officers were eating pizza, looked like cheese pizza, and just talking. None of them were laughing though. _Must be pretty serious stuff,_ I mused to myself, but realized that they were probably all pretty broken up about Dad dying.

I spun the pen and continued to stare out at the other officers. Should I be out there? I wasn't the highest-ranking officer, but most of the officers counted on me for pretty much everything. Besides Dad, I held the place together; at least the straight cops. I wondered how fast the Police Department was going to fall apart without Dad, but I didn't worry too much. _One day at a time,_ I told myself. I caught Wilson's eyes and mouthed, "I'm sorry."

He nodded back. He held up a slice of greasy pizza to signal if I wanted some.

I shook my head and stared at the pictures on his desk. One was a collage of me: a picture of me in my eighth grade graduation robe, my first grade school picture and me in my high school prom dress. I smiled and moved onto the next frame: a picture of Jimmy with a baseball bat and ball cap. It was a good picture, and it really suited Jimmy. The next picture was of Jimmy, Barbara and Dad; Kayla hadn't been born yet. It was a good picture of them. The last picture was of Dad when he was really young. It was a wedding picture with Mom in it. She looked gorgeous. I missed her a lot.

There was some shuffling outside and I saw all of the officers follow Stephens out into the staircase; about two minutes later, I saw the familiar bat signal in the night sky. I rolled my eyes. The guy all ready knew, and there was no chance in Hell that he was going to come now, no matter what they wanted to talk about. I took my chance of lonesome and escaped Dad's office and grabbed some pizza. It was kind of cold, but it still tasted good. I sunk down into one of the cheaper rolling chairs and took advantage of the quiet to close my eyes after I finished the slice of pizza. A short while later, I was completely consumed in sleep.

_I was in that dang warehouse again sitting on the cold concrete and listening to the crunch of gravel and the Joker's high-pitched voice. Martin was brought in, sliced open and then I killed him. It wasn't as traumatic as it was when it first happened. I was used to it by now. I had gone through it like 100 times, but it was what happened next that scared me._

_As I huddled in the corner crying, there was screaming. Not like one person screaming, but an entire crowd. The Joker dragged someone in. I could hear the shoes scuffing along the floor and the struggle that the next victim put up. The Joker cackled, and it echoed off the concrete walls. I felt myself shiver as the sound reached my ears. I lifted my head just to see who it was. I gasped when I saw the panicked face of my dad. He was clutching at the arm sleeved in purple around his throat. The Joker looked at me and smirked; it was one of the scariest things that I had seen. My dad's eyes were wide behind his glasses as he looked at me for help. I couldn't move, but I tried so hard. The Joker pulled a gun from behind his back and pressed it to Dad's temple. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see my dad get shot again. _

"_Alex!" I heard Dad yell. "Do something!"_

"_I'm trying, Daddy," I tried to yell, but no sound came out. My arms and legs seemed to unglue from the floor as I tried to get up one last time. It was too late. A resonating BOOM! filled the air. More blood splattered on the floor as Dad fell to the ground, dead._

I screamed and twisted around in a bed. I sat up, clutching the sheets and sweating. I ran my hand through my hair and took a few deep breaths before taking in my surroundings. I was in the MCU's overnight room. I didn't know how I had gotten there, but it certainly was more comfortable than the chair I was in last night. Everything looked blurry though. I wiped at my eyes and realized that I had actually been crying during my dream/nightmare; not sure what I would call it. I completely wiped my eyes and sat up in the bed. I stripped of my oxford shirt as I moved to my office to grab a towel and my work out t-shirt. My black slacks would have to do for the rest of today, but the white oxford was done in; it was completely wrinkled. I groggily moved down to the locker room to take a shower. Maybe it would help.

I had the showers all to myself so I took the luxury of taking a long, hot shower. It helped to get rid of the some of the stuff I had been carrying around since yesterday, but most of it was mental. It helped me wash off some of the grime that the Joker's image had left on me. I got out, dried off and wrung my hair out before putting it up in a ponytail. I pulled my slacks back on and my white t-shirt. I wiped at my eyes to keep tears from spilling over. I headed back upstairs with my oxford and damp towel in my hand. I didn't think that I could work today, but I didn't know what to do. I remembered about the circled date on my dad's calendar: Mom's anniversary. She was buried in the same graveyard as Martin, so I might as well pay a visit. I'm sure that the other detectives wouldn't mind me taking the day off. I stopped by my own office and dropped my stuff off. I grabbed my messenger bag for some unknown reason, stuffed my keys into my pocket, and put my gun on my belt. I closed the door to my office, just to run into Stephens.

"Hey, Stephens," I greeted in a somewhat depressed voice.

"Hey, kid. How you holdin' up?" He sighed as he put his hand on my shoulder.

I attempted to manage a smile. "I could definitely be better, but I'll hang in there."

"Okay."

"Is it okay if I take off for today?" I asked just to be sure.

"Totally," he agreed. "Just don't do anything stupid."

I knew exactly what he meant by "stupid" as I headed towards the elevator. No, I wasn't going to do anything "stupid" (a.k.a. suicide). Not today anyway. I clicked the down button on the elevator when I heard Stephens call my name as he came up to me.

"Alex, I know that this probably is no consolation whatsoever, but," he paused to take a breath, "everyone pretty much came to a decision last night." He stopped as if he wasn't sure if what he was going to say would be the right thing.

"Yeah?"

"We want you to be the commissioner if the mayor okays it."

"Why?" I was no candidate for that position. I was a field officer, not an office worker.

" 'Cause you're the best officer here, you know that," he explained. "You're straight and would stand up for all of us. In fact, you have, and nearly lost your badge a few times."

I laughed a little bit. I remembered those times.

"You would take good care of us, and the people of Gotham," he finished. "That's why."

I shrugged. "Thank you." I boarded the elevator and got on my bike when I hit ground floor. I turned on my iPod and rode for about ten minutes before turning into the cemetery's parking lot. I shut off the engine and began to stroll through the grassy fields with gravestones strewn throughout. Some people may have considered me heartless for not visiting Mom's grave since I was eight, but it was my way of coping. Even though it had been about 22 years, I still remembered the exact location of her headstone. I let my feet drag through the grass to a willow tree about a football field away from the main building. The sun was barely peeking through the clouds, and it was misting slightly. Not many people were out today. I saw her gravestone, a Celtic design cross with a circle around the joining part of the cross with a Celtic knot in it. The inscription read "Jennifer Ann Gordon (next line) 1959-1986 (next line) A loving wife, sister, mother, and friend (next line) You will be missed" It was simple, but it was an inscription that I had memorized during the funeral. There was a simple crystal vase with a still semi-bright red rose in it. I remembered when Dad and I went to the hospital for the last time.

_Dad held my hand as we walked down the relatively dark halls of the hospital. He was still in his uniform because he had just gotten off shift, got me from our house and brought me to the hospital. I followed Dad into the small, isolated room where Mom lay relatively unconscious on the hospital bed. She had been this way for about two weeks, but she had been in the hospital for a month now. Dad would visit her every day at 6:00 PM like clockwork. Some days I would come to, but most times I would be babysat at the precinct by some of Dad's friends. Today was different, I could tell. I sat in the corner doing my homework while Dad sat by her side, holding her hand. _

"_Hey, Jen," he whispered. "I love you so much, and I can't wait till we can head back over to Washington to see your folks. They'll be so happy to see you." He sighed as he thought of things that we used to do. "Alex is here today, babe. She's been doing so well in school; just like you." He motioned for me to come over. _

_I put my stuff on the chair as I walked over to her side. "Hi, Mommy." I looked at Dad. I didn't know what to say to her. He just shrugged. "I miss your cooking."_

"_Hey," I heard Dad joke, but it sounded strained. _

_The doctor came to the doorway and knocked lightly. "Officer Gordon, can I speak with you a minute?"_

_My dad got out of the chair. "Of course." He walked towards the door. "Stay here, Sweetie," he said to me._

_I nodded and sat in the chair as Dad disappeared into the hall with the doctor. I was silent, trying to catch snippets of their conversation, but all I heard was the rhythmic beeping of Mom's heart monitor. "I miss you, Mommy. I love you." It was all I could think of to say as the heart monitor slowed it's pace to a steady beep. Nurses rushed, but Dad stopped them. I looked at him; he had tears sparkling his eyes and walked towards the bed. He hugged me as tears began to run from his eyes. I heard the heart monitor go silent. _

_The doctor took my hand. "I'll give you a minute." It was a faint whisper as he led me to the hall._

_I stared through the glass with my hands against the barrier. _

_Dad crumpled against the bed, on top of Mom, and just began to sob. I could see his back heaving as he took in deep breaths so he could continue to cry. I escaped the clutches of the doctor and rushed to Dad's side. Dad took me in his arms and just cried, holding onto me tighter than I had ever been hugged. _

I stared at the white marble that was beginning to gather green moss on it. I kneeled down. "Hey, Mom." I sighed. "It's been a while, and I'm sorry. Dad still loved you. I still miss your cooking. Dad did get better though, but never as good as you. I wanted to hear all of your high school boyfriend stories when I got to high school. Dad did an okay job, but I really wished that you were still around. I know that you would be so mad, but I joined the police force, just like Dad. I know that you would have never wanted me to do it, but it just kinda fit me." I shut my mouth to stop my mindless rambling; it wasn't why I was there. "Anyways, that's not why I'm here. I have to be the bearer of bad news, but maybe it's not bad news to you. I dunno." I took a deep sigh. "Dad's dead, Mom. He was shot yesterday doing something that I was supposed to do. I dunno why he thought that he had to do it; I could've done it just as well." It was when I stopped to breathe that I realized I had begun to cry. I wrapped myself in my arms and sobbed for just a little bit before standing up. "Sorry, Mom. I gotta visit another friend here. I promise I'll visit you more often now." I smiled and turned away.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets and walked across the field to where Martin was buried. His was a simpler tombstone considering that his parents didn't want to pay for it. They didn't even come out to the funeral, but they sent their condolences to the police and SWAT members. I didn't want to think about that as I crossed my legs on the ground. I was kind of planning on staying there for a little while.

"Sorry that I didn't bring you flowers, Martin," I joked. "I know how much you loved them." I managed to laugh a little bit. "It's been a while, huh? Still haven't caught the Joker, but, c'mon, he's a pain to catch. Even you said that. He's gotten to us though. Judge Sarillo, Dad, and the commissioner. Not that I'm complaining about the commish. We need someone else in the lead. And ya know what? Stephens said that they wanted me! I don't know if I'm excited or not." I took a little while to contemplate that. "I was the one supposed to getting shot at because Dad said I would actually do it. I wonder if he's disappointed in me because I didn't do it. I was going to, but Dad just did it faster." I sighed and sat there for a few minutes before saying anything else. "I just keep hoping that he'll walk back into MCU, but he won't." Saying it made it final in my heart. "Ya know something, Martin? I really do miss you. You did so much for the city." I didn't know what else to say so I stood up and headed back to my bike, which would take me back to my apartment.

After getting changed into a light blue polo shirt and khaki cargo pants, I headed back to MCU. I figured that I might as well just hang there the rest of the day; try to get some work done. I could hide away in my office _and_ get closer to finding the Joker, hopefully. To me, it was a win-win situation, so that's what I did. I dug everything that we had, did some research into the warehouse where I was taken maybe there was something there. I assigned two officers to watch it for 24 hours from a ways a way with the response "Yes, Commissioner." Apparently, it was a mutual decision on everyone's part; they were just waiting for it to become official.

There was a knock on my door, taking me out of my trance. "Hey, Al." It was Wilson. "Is it safe to come in?" Apparently, he hadn't forgotten about last night.

I smirked. "Yeah, it's perfectly safe. I promise."

He came in, careful to avoid stepping on any stray files on the ground. He sat down in the chair across from me. "Did ya hear?"

"About me being commissioner? Yeah," I guessed.

"Nah, not that," he corrected. "Batman revealed who he was to the press."

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Was Bruce really being that stupid? I tried to mask my frustration by asking, "Who?"

"Dent."

"Dent?" Not who I was expecting.

"Yeah," he awed. "Can you believe it? Dent really is a two face, huh?"

"Uh-huh," I breathed. There was no way that it was true. Dent wasn't even around last year. Was I really that far off guessing who it was?

"They're taking him to county tonight." He must've noticed my stunned face. "Al?"

I shook it off. "Yeah?"

"You sure that you're okay?"

I nodded. "I'm doing better than I thought I would. Visiting Mom and Martin was definitely a good idea."

"They're dead."

"I know, but I was able to get some stuff off my chest about Dad," I explained.

He clasped my shoulder. "I'm glad that you're okay, and remember: if you need anything, I'm right out there." He pointed to his desk.

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Wilson. It really means a lot."

He closed the door, leaving me back to my silence. Eventually the silence began to overwhelm me, and the hole in my heart where Dad was began to burn inside of me. I couldn't seem to get him off of my mind, and it was beginning to affect my head. I couldn't think straight anymore. Tears started to come from my eyes again as the burden began to mount. I felt like an idiot for crying so much, and I tried to stop it, but nothing seemed to work anymore. Not even happy memories of high school with the guys. I lowered my head onto my desk and started crying. I closed my eyes, trying to stop the tears that way. I got them to stop momentarily and went to go get some water from the drinking fountain by the elevator.

As I drank from the cool, clear, mildly refreshing liquid, the elevator binged, and the doors slid open. I wiped my mouth off and stood up straight as Harry walked through the doors with his weapon in his hands.

He smiled at me. "Just the person I was lookin' for," he declared.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Where's that sarcasm that I love so much?"

"All the way on Pluto," I attempted, but it didn't work. "I don't got it today, Harry. Sorry."

"Eh, don't worry," he assured. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to help deliver Batman down to county tonight with us."

"Not tonight, man."

He tilted his head. "You'll miss all the fun."

A little more sarcasm decided to show itself. "Can't ya see that I got my own party going on here?" I gestured with my hands to show an empty room.

He laughed. "Suit yourself," he gave in and left.

I sighed and headed to the stairwell and headed up to the roof. I didn't bother turning on the bat-signal because everyone knew that Batman had been captured. I sunk down onto the ground. I unclipped my badge and turned it over in my hands. It had always been a crutch to help me if I wasn't feeling well, but now, with Dad gone, it seemed to carry the weight of the world. The brass glimmered in the small light that had been installed over the door. It was the job I wanted about ten years ago and I got it and went far, but now I didn't know if I could continue going on with it. I was the cause of two people's deaths, one of which was my father. I let the badge fall the ground as I let my head fall against the concrete. I closed my eyes to think about the decision I was about to make. What would people think of me? I had reached the top of the ladder and then quit. Yeah, it was slightly crazy, but I didn't know if I could make logical decisions anymore. If I had my way, the Joker would be shot on sight.

After a while, I heard a commotion down on the street, but I didn't even bother getting up. Probably just cheering to have put Dent in prison. Hey, I wasn't going to complain. A little voice in my head whispered, _This is your home, Al. They're your family; don't leave._ So there. That was my decision; I was going to stay. I picked myself off the ground, dusted my butt off and made up my mind to focus on getting the Joker and move on. I clipped my badge on my belt and headed downstairs. I heard a bunch of cheering coming from the room as I entered the room. I looked at all the smiling faces wondering what the heck was going on. I scanned everyone's faces. There was one face that I hadn't seen that day. He was in a SWAT uniform and everyone seemed to be crowded around him. His eyes locked onto mine, and a light bulb turned on. He wasn't wearing his glasses, but I knew immediately who he was.

The officers went silent as they realized that we had noticed each other. A little pathway had cleared between him and me. My hands went to my mouth as, amazingly, more tears erupted from my eyes. He moved through the maze of desks to the doorway where I was glued. He wrapped me in his arms as tears began to pour from his eyes. I couldn't move; it wasn't possible, but I eventually moved my hands from my face to around his back.

He held me at arm's length with hands on my cheeks and his thumbs wiped the tears away. He breathed deeply with a smile on his face. "Aw, Alex." He took his hand from my face to wipe the tears from his eyes.

I laughed a little bit. Thought it's possible it was to cover up a sob. "Daddy."

He pulled me close again and just stayed there for a little bit. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie."

"You were dead," I reasoned with myself. "There was no pulse."

He smoothed the ponytail and rubbed my back. "It's complicated. Don't try to figure it out."

I sniffed and managed to get myself to stop crying, but I did just stay in his arms. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Al." He let go of me and let me stand back a little bit to breath. "Guess what?"

"You're alive against all odds?" I guessed.

He chuckled. "Haven't you all ready figured that out?"

I nodded and wiped away the few stray tears left.

"We got him." He smiled broadly.

**Okay, told you that it would be long, and I think that it was the longest yet. Whew! It took me forever to write, but of course, you know that. I hope it lives up to the other chapters because I was a little distracted while writing it and I couldn't seem to write my thoughts down. This is what I got, and if it's a little choppy, sorry. I was trying to fill up time without having to write down every single detail. Review please! I love reviews, even if they're just to say hi! =D Clicky el button.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks for all the reviews guys! I appreciate it.**

**SerenityMoonlight—I'm glad that it turned out well, and I'm glad that you liked it.**

**Kmcracerx—Yup, nitty gritty! I'm not sure how I'm gonna do the interrogation. We'll just have to find out, now won't we? I think that Al was too shocked to slap him, though I'm sure she would've actually socked him in the face. That would've been interesting. Thanks for reviewing, and here's what's next.**

**Fairy Skull—Of course, he's alive! =D I'm so glad that you liked it.**

**Hannah—Well, I'm glad that my writing had the right affect on someone. *hug* Glad that you lied it. **

**Sabre—I'm glad that I made your day! I'm glad that it wasn't too choppy. I'm not sure how I would've pulled it off, but there are drugs that slow your heart down enough to keep you alive, but not enough to show a pulse, but I don't know.**

**Madelineex3—I'm glad that it was good, and go hug your dad. =) Here's more**

**Sven—If you even made it this far, I AM aware that Barbara is Gordon's suspected daughter. I said that at the beginning!!! Can you not read? Alex is an OC that I created because I felt like it. *rolls eyes* Also, Gary Oldman has said in an interview that Chris Nolan has made it clear that neither Barbara Gordon/Batgirl nor Robin exist in his movies. He has the copyrights so he can do that. **

**Sorry for the little rant there; he was pissing me off. Now for the chapter. I'm not sure how this is all gonna play out, or how long I'm gonna make it, so if it's short, I'm sorry. I'm saying this before I write it. **

After Dad had told me that we had caught the Joker, I had to see for myself. I made my way to the holding cells, and Dad went home to tell Barb, Jimmy and Kayla that he was okay. It would be interesting to see how well their marriage would hold up after this. I'm sure that he had a good reason to do it; probably to protect them. I watched him leave from the window, and hoped that he would be safe. Dent, on the other hand, I couldn't care less. One less annoyance to this unit. When I saw the Joker in the holding cell, I felt myself freeze up a little bit. One of the older officers that Dad had been partnered with way back noticed me freeze.

He walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Hey, girl, you're Dad can do this if you want. He prolly will anyway." I caught his smile out of the corner of my eye.

I shrugged his hand off. "I can do this," _can't I? _ I looked at him, and his eyes met mine. I swallowed, but refused to take my eyes away. I looked at the officer. "Get him into the interrogation room," I ordered with a weak voice. I cleared my throat.

"You sure, Alex?"

I nodded. "Positive."

He nodded to the other officers, who grabbed the Joker. He didn't put up any struggle as he was dragged to the interrogation room. His painted on smile revealed yellowing teeth as he smirked at me. I liked smirks; I really did, but not his. His just creeped me out beyond all belief. I rubbed my eyes and followed them into the interrogation room. The officers were either standing by the door or behind the table. I calmly, or at least tried to look it, strode across the white brick room with crappy fluorescent lighting. _I should get that bulb replaced, _I thought to myself as it flickered. I didn't need my files to question him because I had memorized them. I sat myself down in the steel chair.

"What's your real name?" Yeah, stupid question, but if we knew it, maybe we could find some breaking point that made him do this.

He leaned over the table, apparently studying me. He tilted his head and flicked his tongue out, causing unconscious shivers to run down my spine. "That healed…" his tongue flicked out again, "…nicely, Sarg."

I instinctively let my hand touch the scar on my mouth. "That wasn't an answer."

He leaned back and kept silent for a while as I fired questions. Nothing gave anything away, not even in his eyes. He was uncharacteristically quiet, obviously thinking about something sinister, maybe even answering the questions in his head. I saw a twitch at the corner of his red, scarred mouth. "Tell me, precious, how ya…umm…holdin' up after dear ol' Martin's death?"

I clenched my fists on the table.

He set his hands on the table and leaned forward. A devilish smile crossed his face and his eyes narrowed in delight. "Ooh, touch a nerve, did I?" He laughed maniacally, and it echoed throughout the room.

I closed my eyes, and tried to keep my calm, but as images of Martin screaming began to fill my mind, I began to lose it. "Yeah, ya did," I said as calmly as I could.

He laughed and clapped his hands. "He was fun," he declared with his tongue rapidly flicking out of his mouth.

I got up.

"Aw, c'mon, Sarg, doncha wanna hear all the little things that," tongue flick, "he revealed in his final moments." He waited for me to sit back down. I knew that he wanted to tell me things that I never wanted to hear so I just put my right foot forward and let my left follow suit and headed for the door. "He was weak," I heard the high voice say.

I stopped dead. I could almost feel him smile because he got what he wanted. I tried to get myself to keep moving, but all the movement I accomplished was turning around and walking right back to the table. I stared down at him as he shook with silent laughter. By now, I couldn't keep the images of Martin on the concrete covered in blood out of my mind. I could usually do something to keep them out; math mostly. "He wasn't weak."

"Yes," he countered. "Yes, he was. But your father! Oh, he's different!" More cackling.

I tried to stop it, but my logical side seemed to just seemed to dissolve into smitherings. I pulled my fist back and just let it fly into his face. As soon as I pulled it back, I realized that I had done something terribly wrong, but it felt right. My entire body was shaking as I heard his laughter once more. I walked to the door and pulled it open. "Take him back to holding. I can't do it." I shook my head and walked out.

There was a crowd of detectives outside the door waiting for me. It was a stunned silence as I pushed my way through. I needed some fresh air. I heard some mumbling as the Joker was brought out and as I disappeared into the stairwell. As I climbed the stairs, I felt myself falling apart, but I managed to push the door open onto the roof. Cool air blew onto my face, helping to clear my mind a little bit. I slid down onto the ground for the second time that night and pulled my knees to my chin. I wrapped my arms around my legs, which managed to put the shaking at bay for a little while. I closed my eyes and thought up some stupid equation and then tried to solve it. Didn't help. I wrung my hand, feeling the blood there all over again. My head fell onto my knees, which is where it stayed until I heard gravel crunching on the other side of the roof.

"Not quite as stealthy as you'd like, Batman," I said to my legs, but knew that he could hear me.

"Ever thought I wasn't trying?"

I shrugged. He had a point. He would probably be able to sneak up on me without really any effort.

"I take it you interrogated the Joker," he assumed in his low gravelly voice.

"Tried," was the one word answer I gave back.

"I could help," he offered.

I raised my head up, and cocked my eyebrows. "Really?"

"I know a few tricks."

I rubbed my hands over my face. "Why the Hell not?" I stood up and about went back down as the shaking started up again. I pulled myself onto the ledge. "Gimme a minute," I pleaded with my finger in the air and my hand on my head.

He complied silently and stood there as I slowly tried to control my shaking. I bent over the alley side of the roof and threw up. The shaking stopped.

I wiped off my mouth, knowing that I needed room temp water to keep it that way. "Let's go." I opened the door and followed the towering dark figure down the stairs. His cape flowed behind him as we descended into the depths of MCU. It was silent, which helped me to organize my thoughts back to their normal, working order. "So, what's your plan?"

He paused on the stairs, which let me stand next to him. "Not sure," he growled honestly.

I shrugged. "Okay. Follow me." I opened the door and showed him into the interrogation room. "This is our humble, crappy interrogation room." I smiled as he walked in, boots clicking on the tile floor.

He looked around it silently, and then chose a spot in the back where he decided to stand. "Leave."

I was taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"I know what I'm doing," he growled. Gee, like I didn't know that all ready. "Now leave."

"Well, all righty then," I said under my breath as I walked away.

"Turn out the lights, and bring him in," he ordered. "Call your father."

"Okay." I turned out the lights and ordered one of the officers to bring him in as I texted Dad. _Time for interrogation._

**Okay, it's short, and I'm **_**really, really**_** sorry, but I don't have time to work on it until Saturday since I'm gonna be in New York for the rest of the week. I wanted to get up what I have, and I promise that the next chapter will be somewhat longer. I'll do the interrogation scene and Dent and Rachel captive scene too. I promise. Please review. I love them. Click away on the button that says review. =)**


	30. Chapter 30

**Sabre—I think it would be "dislike even more" or "like even less." Anywho, thanks for reviewing. I totally agree with you about the Joker. Here's more.**

**Hannah—I don't like the Joker. I think he's totally evil, **_**but**_** he is an amazing character that Heath Ledger has done an amazing job with. So I love him, but hate him at the same time. Did that make any sense? And Batman is just totally awesome. I had an awesome time in NYC, but since we did everything touristy there in two days, my feet still hurt. Lol Here's more for you to enjoy.**

**Fairy Skull—I thank you for the compliments and I'm glad that you loved it. Yeah it was dark, and knowing the next couple scenes, they're not particularly bright either. I'm glad that you like the roof scene. I'm not sure exactly what I was trying to accomplish there, except for explaining how he got into MCU and the interrogation room. For your question, I'm not really sure. I'm pretty much following the plot line to a T so I guess so. I'm not sure how it's all gonna work out, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there. I know that that doesn't really answer your question. I'm sorry. **

**Madelineex3—I know it was short, but yes, you got something. =) I'm glad that you liked it. I, too, feel bad for Al. That must've sucked. About Sven, I just had to rant about it for a little bit. Thanks for the compliments, and he's obviously to stupid to read the bold print. Oh well. I had great time in New York. It was fun, and here's more.**

**Okay, time for Joker interrogation #1, because I'm sure that there are more to come. Let's see how this goes. **

I stood on the other side of the mirrored glass along with Stephens, Ramirez, Wilson and few officers. I was standing next to Wilson, who had put his hand over mine when I came in. He had obviously seen me shaking as I came in. I was actually still shaking too. I really appreciated Wilson's hand there; it made me feel safe. As we waited for my dad to get there, we all watched the dark room where the Joker sat completely silent, awaiting something to spark his interest. Tension began to mount. Where was my dad? I hoped with everything that I had in me that he was ok; that he was just stuck in traffic. I didn't think I could stand to lose him a second time. I began shaking again.

Wilson leaned over to me and whispered in my ear. "It's okay. I'm sure that he's fine." It was like he read my mind. "At least we have the Joker in custody." He smiled and squeezed my hand.

I turned it over so that we could lace fingers. "Thanks, Wilson," I whispered back. "It means a lot." I closed my eyes and began breathing slowly to calm down.

"In, out. In, out," I heard him whisper.

The door slammed open, causing me to jolt again. I pulled my hand back from Wilson, and it wasn't exactly a pleasant feeling without him. I looked at Dad as he practically stormed in. He looked at me, then at Ramirez. "Has he said anything yet?"

Ramirez shook her head.

Dad turned around and began to walk out the door. "Alex, c'mon. You're with me."

I tilted my head back and let out a silent scream/groan. I didn't want to go through this again. Wilson rubbed his hand on my back and gently shoved me forward. I jogged after Dad and enter the dark room. I felt fear knot in my stomach, but it didn't spread because I knew that Batman was hiding in a corner, covered in darkness. I stayed a little bit behind Dad, but the Joker did happen to notice me.

His eyes darted between Dad and I. "You look a little underdressed, Sarg," he said with a musical quality to his voice and his tongue darting from his mouth.

I sighed.

"Do I sense, uhh.., what's the word, fear?"

"Can it!" my Dad ordered.

"Evening, Caaamissionerrrr," he said with a tongue flick and a tilt of his head. Commissioner? Dad was commissioner? Granted, he would make a great leader, but for some reason, it didn't seem to fit. When did it happen? So many questions that were interrupted by the next statement my dad made.

"Harvey Dent never made it home," he announced. He swept some dust off the table and folded his hands calmly.

"Of course not," the Joker answered as if the entire world should've known that and expected it.

"What have you done with him?" I demanded and sat on the edge of the table.

He looked up at me, as if surprised that I still had a voice, and answered in an even more surprised voice. "Me? I was right here." His eyes darted between Dad and I. He abruptly held up his hands to show the handcuffs. "Who did you leave him with?" he accused pointing at Dad. "Your people?" He paused to think, and he licked his lips as if in thought. "Assuming of course, they are still your people…. And not," tongue flick, "Maroni's," he hissed. He paused to let it sink in.

I looked at Dad to see how this was going to play out. He still looked calm, but I could see his jaw clenched and the vein pumping in his neck. I knew that my fists were clenched to the point where the knuckles were right, but Dad played cool. I knew I would too. The Joker knew how to press the right buttons.

"Does it depress you, Commissioner, Sarg, to know just how alone you really are?" He let it hang in the air for a second as Dad swallowed and I glanced over to the mirrored window. "Does it make you feel responsible for Harvey Dent's current," tongue flick, "pre-dic-ament?"

"Where is he?" Dad said softly.

"What's the time?" the Joker asked nonchalantly.

"What difference does that make?" I asked.

The Joker bobbed his head. "Well, depending on the time," he raised up his hands to emphasize, "he may be in one spot or several." He licked his lips again and raised his eyebrows at us.

Dad pulled the key to the handcuffs and toyed with it in his hands for a second.

I looked into the dark and saw a movement that looked a nod. I tapped Dad's shoulder, and he nodded at me.

He leaned over the table and began to stand. "If we're gonna play games," he unlocked the handcuffs, "I'm gonna need a cup of coffee." He pulled them off and walked away, leaving me behind. The door buzzed and he was out.

"Ah, the good cop, bad cop routine?" he asked leaning on the table and clicked his teeth.

I pushed myself off the table. "Not exactly," I smirked as the door buzzed for me and I walked out. I walked back into the observation room on the other side of the glass and saw the fluorescent lights flip on. Batman was standing right behind the Joker, his black suit in total contrast with white walls. I closed my eyes hoping that this would be okay. I leaned against the table in between Dad and Wilson. I leaned over to Dad. "Commissioner, huh? Congrats."

He looked at me and attempted at smile, but our focus was drawn back to the interrogation room when there was loud thud from the table. The Joker had his hand on his head and Batman was on the other side of the table with his hands holding him up. The Joker was shaking his head. "Never start with the head!" he advised, sounding almost normal. "The victim gets all…fuzzy." Again, hand motions to emphasize. "They can't feel the next—"

Batman raised his fist and slammed it into the Joker's hand.

There was a pause before the Joker spoke again. "See?"

Batman sat in the steel chair across the table, looking like a cop would, except for the black batty suit. "You wanted me," he growled. "Here I am."

Everyone in the observation room was huddled closer to the window to watch. I didn't want to so I was against the back wall watching what glimpses I could, but mostly, I was trying to fight off the shakes again. It was like being to close to the Joker for me was like Kryptonite to Superman. Dad, who was also leaning against the back wall, moved forward.

"I wanted to see what you'd do," the Joker explained. "And you didn't disappoint." He leaned over the table. "You let five people die." He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

It hit me like a rock in my stomach. Five people since the Joker had started his threat, Dent missing, and a few other cops in MCU alone. The Joker was hitting us hard, and we couldn't stop him. How was it possible?

"Then, you let Dent take your place." He licked his lips. He shifted in his seat again. "Even to a guy like me, that's cold!"

Batman kept his calm. "Where's Dent?"

"Those mob fools want you gone so they can get back to the way things were," he ducked the question. He folded his arms on the table. "But I know the truth, there's no going back. You've changed things. Forever."

"Then why do you want to kill me?"

The Joker began to laugh really hard. It caused me to turn away, and just listen to the conversation. "I don't wanna kill you. What would I do without you? Go back to rippin' off mob dealers? No. No. No. No, you. You, complete, me."

"You're garbage that kills for money."

"Don't talk like one of them," he scolded, gesturing to the mirrored window. I turned around to watch. "You're not! Even if you'd like to be," he hissed. "To them you're just a freak, like me. They need ya right now, but when they don't," he smacked his lips. "They'll cast ya out. Like a leper." He rolled his head and smacked his lips again. "See their morals, their code." He licked his lips. "It's a bad joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble." He bobbed his head, obviously trying to think about how to push more buttons. "They're only as good as the world allows them to be." He licked his lips and nodded. "I'll show ya. When the chips are down, these uhh civilized people, they'll Eat each other." He bobbed his head for a while. "See, I'm not a monster," he pointed out leaning back in the chair. "I'm ahead of the curve."

Batman lunged across the table and grabbed the Joker by the collar. He pulled him across until the Joker was hanging in the air. "Where's Dent?" Batman ordered in low growl.

"You've got all these rules, and you think they'll save you!" The Joker kept ducking the question and pushing buttons.

Batman pinned him to a pillar in the room and press his forearm against the Joker's neck.

Stephens and Ramirez turned around to face Dad, obviously thinking that this had gotten out of hand. I agreed, but I trusted Batman with my life. He wouldn't do anything permanently damaging, I hoped. Dad seemed just a dumbfounded as them and equally panicked. "He's, uhhh, in control," I assured.

"I have one rule," Batman rumbled.

"Then that's the rule you'll have to break to know the truth," the Joker almost sang.

"Which is?"

"The only sensible to live in this world is without rules, and tonight you're gonna break you're one rule," he threatened.

"I'm considering it," Batman announced.

_Bad news!_ I all ready had a basic guess of what that rule was, and we needed the Joker alive.

"Well, there's only minutes left," the Joker decided to tell, "so you're gonna have to play my little game to save one of them." Not this game again.

All I could see was the face of Batman at this point, and his eyes showed utter hatred with the linings of fear, like he all ready knew who the other person was. "Them?" It was quieter and more subdued.

"Ya know, for a while there, I, umph, thought you really were Dent." He was struggling to keep his windpipe open. "The way you threw yourself after her."

Batman had had enough. He flipped the Joker over and slammed him into the table. The Joker was obviously having fun by the way he was laughing. Batman had grabbed the chair and walked over to the door.

I pushed my way out of the observation room and over to the interrogation room to calm him down. "Look at you go," I heard the Joker exclaim. It was too late; Batman had propped the chair under the door handle. I exhaled and slammed my fist into the door. This was not going well, or how I intended. I heard a smash and glass splintering.

"Where are they?" Batman thundered.

"You know, killing is making a choice," the Joker said completely calm.

"Where are they?" Batman repeated just as loud.

I massaged my temples.

"Alex, what were you thinking?" Dad demanded.

I sighed. "I don't know," I whispered. "It wasn't supposed to go this way. He was supposed to just get information, not go ballistic."

Dad's jaw was clenched, and I couldn't tell if there were more detectives watching us or the fight inside interrogation room. "This was a huge mistake, Sergeant! We could've gotten the same amount of squat information without hurting him!"

"I was trying to help, _Commissioner_!" I fought back with my hands in fists at my side. "The Joker knows how to push buttons! And, FYI, at least we know who he has!"

Stephens cut in. "Hey! Both of you! Shut up!" It echoed in the small room.

"He's at 250 52nd Boulevard," the Joker informed. "And she's on avenue X at Cicero."

I rushed back to the interrogation room with Dad on my heels. Batman slammed through the door. "Which one you goin' after?" I demanded.

"Rachel," was the short and huffed reply.

We were going after Dent.

**Okay, well, it didn't take that long to write, but of course, I had the script and movie to help me along. Hope that you liked it, even if it wasn't that different than the movie. It will get better as the movie comes to a close, I promise, but please continue reading and reviewing. Please review.**


	31. Chapter 31

**WOW!!! 30 chapters, and 200 reviews!!! It's a breakthrough for me, so THANK YOU to all my loyal readers and to my reviewers. You are all awesome and help this story take shape…kinda. I love you all in a noncreepy sorta way =D Onto review replies.**

**Fairy Skull—I'm so glad that I did it well. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, which is definitely a good thing. I thought of a more definitive answer for your question too. =) Yeah, he loves Rachel in this story. There are sparks between Bruce and Alex, or at least there are supposed to be, but I don't know how it's gonna turn out. Here's more.**

**Madelineex3—Glad that you thought it was good. I wish I had HBO to do that, but then I remember I actually have the movie… *rolls eyes* I can be an idiot sometimes. Well, I'm glad that you found the rank-calling entertaining, even though it wasn't supposed to be. Oh well. Not sure how the ending is gonna be, but I have plot bunnies in my head working away. =) **

**Hannah—Didn't that happen to you before? Lol Irony. Ya gotta love it! =) Here's more.**

**Sabre—I'm so glad that you love it!!! I really didn't think that it was going to go well. So I'm glad that it did. Here's more!**

**Johanna-- #200!!! I would give you something, but I don't know you. With #100, I knew her, so there goes that. THANK YOU!!!! *breaths slowly* I'm so glad that you liked it. Yeah, I was thinking that it would be cool to have a little bit of that there, but I wasn't sure how it would turn out. **

**Blpaul—Yup, sadness, and more Dent. ;) Here's more.**

**Okay, I'm really surprised that no one commented on the fact that Wilson and Alex were holding hands. I can't believe that, but okay. Enjoy the chapter.**

Batman pushed his way past us with his black almost velvety cape billowing around his feet. I couldn't let him go save our ADA Rachel Dawes by himself. Granted, he helped us a lot, but he still wasn't a cop. I spun on my heel back into the observation room, and Dad was all ready calling the fire department and paramedics. The door swung out behind me on its double hinges; everyone was staring at me in silence. For the first couple seconds, I couldn't talk. I didn't know why, but sound refused to leave my mouth.

Wilson helped out. "What's the plan, Sarg?"

I snapped out of whatever trance I was in. "We need to go. Wilson, you're gonna take Rachel Dawes at Cicero. Stephens, watch him." I gestured into the interrogation room, where the Joker was still slumped on the floor. "Ramirez… go with Wilson. We need as many eyes out there."

"What about me?" Stephens interjected.

I sighed and rested my hands on my hips. "I need someone I completely trust here with him."

He nodded.

"Let's move," I ordered as I ran outside. I heard footsteps behind me as they followed me. I pushed open the door into the cool night air. I knew I really was going to wish I had grabbed a siren out of an unmarked car and attached it to my bike. I mounted the motorbike and revved the engines with the blue siren spinning.

"What are you doing?" Wilson yelled over the sound of the engines.

"I can get there faster," I explained and pulled the helmet over my head. I kicked up the kickstand and peeled out of the parking lot. I tore down the streets of Gotham through the maze of traffic with the sound of the siren blaring in my ear. I heard the radio on my belt crackle. How? It's a miracle, but I did. I grabbed the radio and lifted up the guard on my helmet, nearly running into a taxi. "Damn!" I yelled as I steadied my bike. I pressed my elbow on the handle and pressed the call button, "This better be good."

"Alex?" Dad sounded surprised at the agitation in my voice.

"Yes," I hissed. "What's up?"

"I got every available unit going to our two locations," he informed. I was kind of expecting him to do that anyway.

"That was it," I retorted and nearly ran into an open car door. "Frick," I hissed under my breath.

"Watch your tone, young lady," Dad scolded in a very, very fatherly voice.

"Dad," I warned.

"Sorry," he said softly. "What news do you have?"

"Ramirez and Wilson are going to Cicero," I informed.

"Good. Okay, that's it," he signed off.

"See ya there." I slowed down about 10 MPH to hook the radio on my bike as I turned the last turn and headed out to the warehouse district. I felt the mud splatter on my pants as I pulled up next to the warehouse, just behind my Dad. I hopped off the bike and didn't even bother taking off my helmet. I drew my gun and ran towards the building. I heard the car door open.

"Alex, what are you—" It was cut off by a loud bang and fire bursting from the windows.

The shockwave hit me, knocking me to the ground and the helmet off my head. I felt a piece of glass fly past by stomach and rip a small hole in my shirt. I liked this shirt too! I sighed and laid my head on the mud and slammed my fists into the ground.

"Al, you okay?" Dad called as he ran over to me after the fire had gone down and the officers let him go.

I raised the hand that didn't have the gun in it and gave him a thumbs up before cursing under my breath. I let it fall back into a puddle with a splash. "Great," I mumbled with never ceasing sarcasm.

Dad stood over me and peered down.

"He's gone, Dad," I announced the unforgivable truth. "We were too late."

He put his hand out. "Not gonna do any good just layin' there, Al."

I grabbed it and got to my feet. I grabbed my helmet and held it under my arm as I holstered my gun. I watched the firemen put out the fire knowing that Dent was no longer a nuisance to anyone; or so I thought. My phone rang, knocking me out of my trance. "Gordon."

"Al," Wilson said on the other line, "Dent's alive! Joker switched the locations."

I motioned to Dad. "Dad, Dent's alive. He was at the other location."

I saw Dad sigh in relief.

"Yeah," Wilson agreed, "but just barely. He should make it though."

I nodded slowly. "That's good…I guess."

Wilson laughed. "Good luck, Al."

"Thanks, man." I hung up and turned to Dad. "He's just barely alive, but he'll make it."

Dad looked like the entire world had been thrown off of his shoulders. We walked back over to the cop cars, planning to go home.

A uniformed Sergeant walked up to us. "Back at MCU…Joker's gone…"

"With Lau?" Dad guessed.

The Sergeant nodded.

"The Joker planned to be caught," I realized. "He wanted to be locked up at MCU."

Dad nodded slowly.

"There's more," the Sergeant added. He paused hesitantly. "Stephens and Murphy are dead, and a few other men. Two floors have been destroyed, and it's possible that we'll have to completely rebuild MCU."

Dad ran his hands over his face and I just stood there, shell-shocked. I felt the air slowly leaving and entering my lungs, but it seemed surreal. No one had ever taken a direct hit at police _unit_ before. I felt my legs give out from under me, and I dropped onto the hood of one of the cars. Then it hit me, to add to the load all ready on my shoulders, Rachel was dead, and the only person that I knew that was anywhere close to her family was Bruce Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth. I needed to tell Bruce; I need to tell them that she was gone. Of course, if Bruce was really Batman, he all ready knew. I sighed, knowing that it was going to be me going over there to tell them. "Dad, I'm gonna tell Bruce and Alfred."

"Now?"

I nodded and put my helmet back on. I got on the bike and rode to the Wayne Penthouse. I was stopped by a security guard at the front door of the building. Sometimes I hated security people, even though that was what I technically was. I didn't even bother showing my badge. "Wayne Penthouse," I said quietly.

He flicked his eyes over me, from head to toe. I must've been a mess; muddy, probably singed and completely exhausted. He glanced my badge and nodded. "Name please."

"Sergeant Alex Gordon."

He nodded and called up to the penthouse.

"Yes?" a familiar British voice crackled through the intercom.

"I have a Sergeant Alex Gordon here to see you," the security guard informed.

There was a pause. "Send her up."

The security guard took me to the special elevator and pulled a key from his belt to turn the lock on the elevator. There was a silence and whoosing while the elevator descended. It hit the bottom level and dinged; he gestured the open door.

I thanked him and stepped inside the elevator; I leaned against the wall as the doors closed and took me to the very top level. The silence was almost completely overwhelming, but it gave me a chance to just let things organize themselves in my mind instead of being stacked on top of each other, drowning me in the process. Before I was able to get everything straightened out in my head (i.e. Dad "dying"; Rachel dying; Dent _not_ dying; MCU exploding to bits; etc.), the elevator dinged and the doors slid open revealing an empty, dark, large room with one lamp on in the corner and the news flashing blue over the area.

The clicking of dress shoes to my right caused me to jump and turn to my right. My hand instinctively went to my gun.

I saw Alfred with both his hands up in defense. "Alex, my dear, I didn't mean to startle you."

I relaxed and took my hand off my gun. "Sorry. Reflexes."

"Bruce isn't here," he stated.

"Oh," I sighed. Score! Another nail in the Batman coffin. "Well, you'll do fine."

"Oh," he returned with surprised. He walked over and flipped on the lights. He looked me over. "My word, what happened to you?"

"Work, unfortunately," I kind of explained. "Alfred, I have some really bad news."

He looked at me uneasily before gesturing to a barstool out side of the kitchen. "Please, take a seat."

I sat down and crossed my arms on the cool marble countertop. I laid my face on the countertop and closed my eyes, realizing how utterly exhausted I was. I didn't want to say what I knew what I had to, but that was the bad part of this job.

"Would like something to drink?" he asked, the ever loyal butler.

"Just a glass of water," I mumbled. I raised my head, but let my arms stay where they were.

Alfred put the glass of water next to me and sat down. "You said you had bad news?"

I pursed my lips and nodded. "Alfred, there is no easy way to say this."

"Then say it the hard way, dear," he smiled.

"Earlier tonight, Rachel Dawes was abducted and held in a warehouse. She was attached to a bomb," I explained, taking deep breaths as I went. "By the time we figured out where she was and got there, it was too late."

I saw Alfred's breath catch in his throat, but he didn't say anything for a while.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say.

He nodded silently.

For a while we just sat there silently with the news in the background. "That's why you look muddy and singed," Alfred guessed.

"Yeah." I took a swallow of water.

"Why did you tell me this?"

"You're like her family, and I don't know where her family is," I explained. "I was hoping you could contact them."

"It's your job," he pointed out with an edge to his voice.

I sense the edge and got a little defensive. "I just lost my building and at least two of my friends, thanks to the Joker! If I had time, I would, but I don't." I got up and walked to the elevator. I pressed the button and stepped in and descended to the ground floor and walked out of the building, still fuming, and got on my bike to drive back to MCU, or what was left of it.

**Okay, this one took forever to write, but give me credit, it was a little hard to start. Hope that you like it. Reviews are welcome.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Well, my reviews are dwindling. So I'm just gonna say here that I really like reviews, and it's kinda sad when I don't get many. I know that it's a long story. I'm sorry. But please review. =)**

**Sabre—I totally agree with you. I would hate telling people about someone they care about dying. I almost cried a few times in that movie! Don't worry about jetlag. The stuff sucks, and I had a wart once. I got it removed. ECK!!! I'm glad that you liked it. **

**Fairy Skull—Yeah. Bad Alfred! =) I'm so glad that you liked it. Sorry it took a while to update.**

**Hannah—I can't believe that it's only on my story. I guess I feel loved by the fate of music. =) Here's your next update.**

**Madelineex3—Yup, Alfred probably retaliated his vulnerability with feistiness. As I told Sabre, I would hate to tell someone that, and I don't know how Bruce is gonna react in this story. I'm glad that you like it, and I'll always try to keep up the good work.**

**OK, I don't have much to say. Enjoy! **

When I reached MCU, I hit the breaks and slammed my foot down on the wet, slightly muddy concrete. I turned off the roar of the motorbike and pulled my helmet off. I sat it on the seat and stared at the fire crews putting out what was left of the flames. I saw a group of officers with their heads bowed together with, what looked like, the top officer's mouth moving in quiet prayer. That's when it hit me, like a ton of bricks, that the Joker was completely kicking the crap out of us, and the light at the end of our tunnel was quickly fading. I fell to the ground on my knees with my hands on the rough ground. I pulled my torso up and stared at the half skeletal building that I went to work in everyday, knowing that we had lost more men in this explosion.

I heard my dad call my name and the splashing of his shoes as he ran to me. He squatted down in front of me and cocked his head. "Alex, this isn't like you at all. What's up?"

I just shook my head. "How do you keep hope when something like this happens?"

Dad looked like he was searching himself as he answered me. "Because…" He sighed and thought a little bit more. "Because, Al, there is still a lot of good in this city, even in this police force."

"Enough good to stop the Joker?" I wondered hopelessly.

Dad looked completely calm. "Enough good to stop the Joker." He smiled gently. "C'mon," he said raising his hands into the air, nearly falling over, "we got Batman and Dent."

"Dad, think rationally," I hissed, exasperated. "If Dent makes it through this, he'll be shot mentally and emotionally. And, I hate to say this, but I don't think that we can trust Batman anymore."

"Alex, I thought that you trusted him with your life."

"I did, and it nearly got the Joker killed, not that that would be a bad thing, but that's not the point," I explained. "I trusted him to get the information from the Joker, but not nearly kill him. That mistake could've gotten me arrested as 'Accomplice to Murder.' You know that."

He nodded. "You had good intentions," he mumbled.

"Good intentions don't change what happened!" I exclaimed and received a glance from the group of officers.

Dad placed his hand on the side of my neck and rubbed his thumb against my cheek. "Then I guess it's just us, Sweetie." He smiled.

I smiled back and let out a little laugh.

He patted my cheek causing to contort my face. "Never gets old," he joked. He stood up and offered his hand for me to get up.

I stood up and dusted my hands off.

"You are aware of how you look right now, right?" Dad wondered.

"Yeah," I confirmed. "I look like crap."

Dad raised one eyebrow in a little bit of a shrug. "Go home, take a shower, and come back ready to pick up pieces and win this war." He smiled. "I love you, Al. Don't ever doubt that," Dad said softly.

"I don't; never have."

He turned away to walk back to MCU.

I grabbed my helmet. "Hey, Dad," I called after him.

He turned around.

"Love ya too." I smiled and pulled the helmet over my head and watched the man that I had looked up to for so long walk back to serving his city, family, and friends after faking his death and hearing about the death of his best friend. If Dad still saw hope for this forsaken place, then there must still be some out there. I straddled the bike and revved the engine before kicking out the kickstand and riding back to my small apartment.

Once I got home, I threw the keys onto the table beside the door and untied my shoes, kicking them off as I walked over to the fridge. I grabbed a beer and pulled my cell phone from my pocket and plugged it into the charger, assuming that it was dead, which it was. I flipped on the lights in my room and slowly moved to the bathroom. I flipped on the light, fan and heat light. I stripped down to my tank top and boyshorts before turning on the hot water from the shower. I grabbed my pants and shirt and carried them back into my room, dumping them into the laundry basket, along with a lot of other clothes that needed to be washed. _Mental Note: go to Laundromat. _

I grabbed my iHome with my iPod and walked back into the steamy bathroom. I put on some classic rock from the 60s and 70s, turned it up all the way, stripped down to the bare and stepped inside the shower. The hot water poured over my skin, washing all the dirt and grime away. I grabbed the shampoo and lathered it in my hair before rinsing it out. I sang to the music as I just stood in the warm water for a while. I eventually shut it off and grabbed a towel, wrapping its fluffiness around me. I left the music playing as I walked back to my room and grabbed a pair of briefs and jeans. I pulled them as I grabbed a sports bra and a plain olive t-shirt; then I put them on. I grabbed my badge and gun with holster from the cargo pants and clipped them onto the belt that I was currently wearing.

I shut off the music with a pout, but grabbed my earphones and stuffed the iPod into my pocket. I strode back into the kitchen and took a swig from the beer bottle and pulled the phone from the charger and turned it on. I stuffed in my pocket, but it beeped, letting me know that I had a voice message. I pressed the phone to my ear and listened to the message as I sipped away at my beer.

"_Hey, Alex," Bruce said quietly. "It's me. Bruce." There was a sigh with a slight quiver. "I know that you all ready know this since you told Alfred, but Rachel is gone." There was an almost inaudible sob with a long pause. "I just needed someone to talk to about this; someone to vent to, someone other than Alfred. I'm sorry that I'm dumping this on you, but I couldn't think of anyone else." There was another pause and another sob. "Alex, I can't do this anymore. I just can't. I loved her, and… and she was gonna wait." _

I closed my eyes, knowing that he had no idea about Harvey Dent asking her to marry him.

"_It's all my fault. I brought this upon her." There was another pause. "Sorry, Al. I just had to talk to someone other than Alfred." He sighed heavily. "Talk to ya later." There was a click. Then the robotic lady came on. "End of message."_

I hit 7 and stuffed it back in my pocket. I swallowed the last little bit of my beer and walked towards the door. I grabbed my leather jacket off the hook and pulled it on as I went back downstairs. I pulled my hair back into a low ponytail and walked out the door into the chilly air. The sky was beginning to turn orange, signaling dawn approaching the city of Gotham. I pulled my helmet over my head and lowered the sun visor and rode back to MCU with my iPod playing the song I left off on. The beginnings of morning rush hour were coming onto the streets. It amazed me that almost no one knew what had happened the night before. I finally made it to MCU and walked into the wreckage.

I climbed the staircase considering the fact that the elevator was completely destroyed. After four flights, I was at what was the floor my office was on. I opened the door and saw less mayhem than I thought there would be. There were singed papers on the ground that would be completely useless from this point on. I walked through the clutter, knowing that this would be one heck of a rebuild, but surprisingly, officers, detectives, and firemen were still joking around with one another. Dad was right; there was still good in this place. I stepped over a toppled filing cabinet and made it to my office. The glass was blown out thanks to the explosion. All the files on the Joker were scattered about, but still mildly usable for the future. Under a shard of glass, there was a picture poking out. The edges were black and jagged, but most of the picture was still there. I felt tears come into my eyes as I stuffed the picture of Martin and I into my back pocket.

"Mornin', Al," I heard Dad say from the doorway.

I smiled and wiped the tears away. "I think my office could use some renovations," I joked as I turned around.

Dad laughed. "Well, you could just get a new office." He winked at me.

I folded my arms. "What are you talking about?"

Dad's phone rang. "I'll tell you later." He answered his phone, "Gordon." There was a pause. "Of course. We'll be right over." He hung up and slipped the phone back into its case. "Dent's up and asking for us."

"That can't be good," I mumbled.

"My guess is, he's delirious," Dad said just a little louder than under his breath.

We both laughed and headed out the black SUV to head to the hospital. I leaned back in the seat and grabbed my iPod. I plugged it in so that music would play. Dad glanced over at me with a glint in his eye.

I sighed. "Dad, it's not gonna hurt anyone, and it lowers stress levels," I reasoned.

He turned back to the traffic jam that we were currently stuck in. I saw his tense shoulders begin to loosen up as the music continued to play through the speakers. I leaned my head on the headrest for a little while, letting the music give the SUV a somewhat relaxing atmosphere. After a few songs and hearing Dad humming along with one of them, I raised my head back up and looked over him. "Hey, Dad."

"Yeah?" he said as we finally pulled onto the road that lead to the hospital.

I breathed deeply clearing my mind of any unwanted thoughts. "We'll make it through this." I smiled and looked in his eyes. There was some doubt there, but there was even less hope. I couldn't believe that it was me giving Dad hope.

He nodded and pulled into the parking lot of the hospital. We both got out of the car and walked into the foreboding Gotham General Hospital. Dad strode ahead of me to talk to the nurse, but my attention was caught by the news on the TV in the waiting room.

"We'll be live at five with the true identity of the Batman." I looked at my watch, which read 10:55. Why were they telling us about this now? Save it for the dang 5 o'clock news. I sighed and shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Al," Dad called. He jerked his head in the direction of what I assumed was Dent's room. "C'mon." He walked off without me.

I jogged to catch up and walked into Dent's hospital room, which was a sea foam green and stark white. Dad stood silently by his side for a while, probably having no idea what to say. The window behind the bed let some sunlight seep in. There were a ton of machines, and most of them were hooked up to Dent, who lay silently in the bed looking off at the far wall so that we could only see the right side of his face. There were wrist restraints that held his arms in place. There was no way he would ever be serving Gotham again.

Dad had shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his brown coat. I saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed any nervousness left. "I'm sorry about Rachel," he said quietly.

Dent's face scrunched up, like he was about to cry.

I watched silently, breathing slow deep breaths. "The doctor says you're in agonizing pain, but you won't accept medication." I swallowed hard after getting a slight glare from Dad. "That you're refusing to accept skin graphs," I acknowledged, not hiding the concern in my voice. Yeah, the guy was a jerk, but he just lost his girlfriend, and maybe his fiancée. I knew what it was like to lose someone that close to me. _Martin,_ I thought to myself with a sigh.

Dent decided to speak. "Remember that name…" he swallowed "…you all had for me… when I was at Internal Affairs? What was it, Gordon?"

"Harvey, I don't—" Dad began.

"Say it," Dent whispered, but getting no reply, "SAY IT!"

Dad flinched.

"Two Face," I said a little too quickly.

Dad elbowed me in the stomach and glared. "Harvey Two Face," Dad mumbled his knowledge.

I rolled my eyes at Dad. "You know I just said that," I whispered harshly to him.

Dad nudged me as Dent turned his head to look at us. His face was half black and red, completely burned. His jawbone was visible, along with the muscles in his mouth. The hair was gone, and his eyelid was too. Definitely fit his nickname, but it just made me trust him even less. Dad's jaw was visibly lower than it was earlier, and mine was clenched up against the roof of my mouth. I felt my hands turn into tight fists, but kept my composure, and my sarcasm, in check.

"Why should I hide who I am?" he growled.

"I… I know you tried to warn me. I'm sorry," Dad said as the nice cop. "I know Wuertz picked you up. Was he working for them?"

Dent sighed his annoyance.

Dad kept his calm. "Do you know who picked up Rachel?" Dad continued, but the only response we got from Dent was a sigh and a turned head.

"Dent!" I demanded with control. "We need to know which of our men we can trust."

Dent rolled his head back over part way. "Why would you listen to me now?"

_I never did_, I retorted in my head.

"I'm sorry, Harvey," Dad said genuinely.

Dent faced us again. "No, no you're not," he growled. "Not yet."

Dad walked out, leaving me behind for a second.

I leaned over Dent's bed. "Watch it, Dent," I hissed. "I can still whoop your ass if I need to." I smirked and patted his hand as I walked out. I ran into Dad as I walked out the door.

He was standing like a statue staring at someone. Maroni was that someone.

"This craziness," Maroni said slyly. "It's too much." He pursed his lips.

"Shoulda thought about that before ya let clown out of the box," I said snidely as I pushed past him, hitting his shoulder hard with mine. "C'mon, Dad." I heard Dad's footsteps behind me.

"You wan him?" Maroni negotiated.

Dad and I stopped dead and spun around slowly.

"I can tell ya where he'll be this afternoon," Maroni said. He sounded like this whole ordeal was his fault, which it was, but still. This was Sal Maroni, father of the mob, working with us. Either there was a catch, or he really wanted the Joker gone. I wasn't going with the latter at that point in time.

**Okay, not the greatest suspense, but it's a decent ending, and I didn't feel like watching the entire movie again right now. Hope that you like it. PLEASE review! I beg of you. I really like them, and I know that there is a lot of people reading, so can you please review. Enough of my begging. Clicky the button. Until next time.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Wow! Thanks for all the reviews guys. I only thought I would get like two more reviews, but I got a ton more! Thank you so much! **

**Fairy Skull—I'm glad that you loved it, and thanks for the compliment. I'm also glad that the voicemail gave the wanted effect. =) Thanks for reviewing.**

**Sabre—Wow is a good word, and I don't mind that nothing else comes to mind, especially when there's more to the review. ;) I'm glad that you really like it. **

**Kris Knight—Don't know if you're here yet or not, but I wanted to thank you for reviewing anyway. I'm glad that I'm bringing Alex into the plot in a good way. I'm glad that you like the story. I will have a conversation between either her and Bruce or her and Gordon later about what happened during those eleven years that she was gone. **

**Blpaul—I get the busy thing so don't worry. I'm glad that you think I made the right call about Bruce calling Alex. I was debating about that. There will be some Bruce—well, Batman then— and Alex at the end of the movie because it's pretty intense from here on out, but there might be some at the crash scene. Don't know yet.**

**Johanna—Yeah, poor Bruce. I agree with you. Rachel really wasn't a needed character, and she's not even in the comics…So sad, but hey, she kinda gave a little more love interest I guess. Exploding hospital time…maybe. Let's see how long this takes, but probably.**

**Caleb's babe—I'm glad that you liked it, and that you're excited about the next chapter. Well, what's gonna happen next is pretty much how it is in the movie, plus Alex.**

**VampireXHeart2442—Thank you for reviewing! Thank you for the huge compliment. I don't think he'll be the one admitting feelings, but more of Alex doing it. Well, when we get there, I'll let you decide. =)**

**Hannah—Short review this time, but thanks. Here's another chapter.**

**Madelineex3—I'm glad that you liked it! I really enjoyed writing it too! Hehe Gotta have Alex/Dent tension, and it's so much fun to write. My way of lowering his self esteem through my story. I love that part at the end of the movie. Hopefully, Bruce can gets what he deserves with Alex ;). That is probably the biggest spoiler I've ever given. I'm glad that you liked t he chapter.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, and here's a hint: the more reviews I get, the faster that I update. Just sayin'. Enjoy the chapter.**

I stood next to Dad in the basement of MCU, one of the untouched places, in a crowd of officers. I still didn't think that this was a good idea, but it could've been our one shot to get the Joker…again. We definitely needed it, and Maroni was at County in a nicer solitary cell for holding. If he was right, we would probably give him a deal. Most of the officers had Kevlar vests over their windbreakers. It was drizzly outside, yet still sunny, and I was glad that I had grabbed my jacket. I knew that we had to be pretty dang exact to pull this off. We currently had the element of surprise, but if we screwed up by a millisecond, the Joker was gone.

"All tactical units will converge on location in twenty minutes," Dad began telling the plan. "I want auxiliary units to come aboard at all possible get away routes."

"We only get one shot at this," I informed the ugly truth. "He's sneaky, and not afraid of pain or blowing us to bits. We all know that." I looked into the eyes of the officers I saw here this morning. "I'm not trying to scare anyone by saying this, but if we screw this up, by even a little bit, we may never get a chance like this again. We have the element of surprise; try to use it to your advantage if you see a way to get him. Good luck." I backed out of the limelight, and let Dad take over. My eyes flicked to the TV screen which was playing the 5 o'clock news! I looked at my watch: 5:15. How did it get to be this late?

"I wanna know how much they're paying to say who Batman really is," the reporter named Engel said to some guy claiming to know Batman's real identity.

"This is our chance," Dad was saying. "I want Lau alive." Oh yeah. Forgot about him. "The Joker, either way." _Dead would be the most efficient_, I mused to myself.

"Hey, Dad," I interrupted his pep rally. "Ya might wanna check this out."

"Let's take the next caller," Engel announced. Callers, great. This wasn't going to end well.

"Harvey Dent didn't want to give in to this maniac," the caller said. "You know better than him?" Good point. The Joker held us all, pretty much, on puppet strings, but anyone that had any balls fought against what he told us to do. Dent didn't have a lot of balls, but he had enough to try to put the Joker in jail. Got close too.

"I think that if we talked to Dent today, he may feel differently," Reese answered. For some reason, I had a feeling that Dent would probably just want to kill the Joker now. Just a thought.

"And we wish him a speedy recovery," Engel said. Dent wasn't going to be healing speedily if he was still the same as he was earlier today. " 'Cause God knows, we need him now." When he said that, it just reiterated why we needed to get the Joker in twenty minutes.

I looked over at Dad. "What do we do about this?" Batman's identity was part of what made him so successful, because no one could find out his weaknesses.

"We leave it alone unless something that absolutely needs us happens." I could see the doubt in his eyes though. _The eyes say everything a person won't, Al. Remember that._ I could see that Dad didn't want this Reese guy to say who Batman was.

I grabbed Dad's sleeve and pulled him over to where no one was, but everyone hushed up a little bit when I pulled him over.

"Al, what are you doing?" Dad hissed.

"Dad, you know that if Batman's identity is revealed that the Joker will take him out and completely rule this city," I assumed. "We won't stand a chance."

"That's why we're getting him now."

"We won't win this war if Batman is uncovered, Dad!" I persisted. "The Joker will be out of that place before we even get there."

Dad nodded, letting the truth sink in. "We have no viable reason to stop that news coverage, and Batman is a case that we've been working on since earlier this year."

"Wuertz's case, under Loeb," I pointed out. "Wuertz is done, and you're the commissioner."

"We wait," Dad ordered and walked away.

I rolled my neck around and sighed. _Dang "by the book" method!_ I cursed.

"Who is this?" Engel asked the next caller.

"I had a vision," the Joker's voice came over the air, "of a world without Batman. The mob ground out a little profit, and the police tried to shut them down. One block at a time." I clenched my fist, knowing that he was partially right. I saw other officers with their hands in fists for the simple fact that they just wanted to kick the crap out of the Joker. "And it was soooo….Boring." I could picture him licking his lips. I cringed. "I've had a change of heart. I don't want Mr. Reese spoiling everything, but why should _I_ have all the fun?" I pictured his eerie smile. "Let's give someone else a chance." Time for more games. "If Coleman Reese isn't dead in sixty minutes, then I blow up a hospital."

"Change of plans guys!" I announced. "Call every officer. Tell them to get to their nearest hospital, and start evac and search! Call transit authority, school board, prisons; get every available bus down to a hospital!"

"Priority is Gotham General!" Dad added. He looked at me and nodded. "Wheel everyone outta that place right now!"

People began scattering about as orders were given.

I pointed at four officers that I kind of knew. "You, you, you, and you! You're comin' with us."

"Where we going, Ma'am?"

"To get Reese." I jogged out to one of the unused black SUVs and hopped in the driver's seat. Dad hopped in next to me, and two of the officers hopped in the back. The other ran to their patrol car. I gunned it and sped down to the GCN studio.

The radio in the cup holder crackled. "Gordon, either of you, who do you want out of Gotham General first?"

I grabbed the radio and pressed the call button. "Dent! Get Dent the Hell outta there!" I slammed it down and drifted into a relatively decent parallel parking job.

Dad and I pushed our way through the sea of people as the officers held them back from the door. I nodded at Harry as I walked by. He had a rifle, and wasn't afraid to use it if the crowd got too out of hand. I saw other SWAT member distributed through the crowd as more people appeared. This was going to be one interesting day. I pressed my way through the revolving door and slid into the elevator as it was closing. The lame canned music revealed the exact opposite of the chaos outside.

Dad looked at me with a surprisingly calm expression. "Ya did good back there, Al."

I smiled for a short second. "Thanks. I learned from the best." I jokingly punched his arm as the elevator stopped and the doors slid open to the studio. The cameras had long since stopped rolling, but everyone was just sitting or standing as if they were on pause. Dad and I strode across the tiled floor. I looked way too casual to be assumed a cop, but the badge shining under my jacket proved otherwise. "Gotham Police, Mr. Reese. You're comin' with us." I smiled and grabbed his arm.

"But—but," he protested.

"Trust me, no one I care about is in a hospital." Dad shot me a glare when I said that. I shrugged and guided Reese to the elevator. Engel followed us into the elevator. The canned music played again, filling the elevator with something other than tension, but we were all silent.

The doors opened and Dad and I rushed Reese out into the lobby.

"Ma'am, Commissioner" Engel tried, "do you really think that an ordinary citizen would try to kill this man?" I glanced over at him. He had his recorder out.

I snatched it, turning it off. "No frickin' comment." I smirked at him.

"Sir, Commissioner!"

We continued running towards the crowd. "Dad! What are you thinking?"

A shot was fired and the glass cracked. I pulled on Reese's shoulder as we hit the ground for cover. "Get the cars around back!" I ordered as I saw Harry and a few other officers arresting the guy that pulled the trigger. The crowd didn't even stop for a second with their pounding on the glass. I watched Harry and the other officers pull their guns and get the entire crowd to disappear in a matter of seconds. People hid behind other people or traffic poles, but at least they were gone for those few seconds. We ran out into the loading dock to get Reese somewhere safer, but all Reese was doing was shaking.

"They're trying to kill me," he realized.

I shoved him towards the SUV. "Well, maybe Batman will save you." I smirked. I got into the car across from Dad and next to Reese. There was another guy in the car with us, sitting next to Dad, holding a shotgun. He loaded the shotgun as he took off his hat.

"So what now?" Reese asked as he began to wring his hands together in fear. He still had that deer in the headlights look. Hard to believe that he could know who Batman really was. "What do we do now? Where are we going?" He looked out the back window.

"Calm down," I soothed. "You're okay now. Just relax." I smiled at him. "Breathe slowly." My phone beeped, letting me know I had a text, but the weird thing was, Dad's did too. I looked down at the message: _Watch out. Cops with relatives in Gotham hospitals. Ramirez, Berg. _I looked across at the officer. He was sweating and clutching the shotgun like it was his lifeline. I shifted in my seat, ready to dive in front of Reese if I needed to. I was pretty sure that Dad had gotten same message as me.

"Berg, isn't it?" Dad asked quietly.

"Commissioner?"

His lips flicked into a smile. "You okay, son?"

Berg nodded, and let out a little bit of a laugh as he glanced at his watch.

"Ya sure?" I asked with a little smile on my face. "You don't look so good."

He swallowed. "First real big, important thing," he lied. "Guess I'm nervous."

I nodded. "Never the less, I'm gonna need your weapon."

"What?" he asked honestly as he lowered the shotgun.

I moved over little bit so that all I had to do was fall for Reese to not get the brunt of the shot, and me to get it.

"Why? Because my wife's in the hospital?"

"Yeah," I breathed as I felt the adrenaline begin to kick in. I was risking my life for this guy, and I was a little bit nervous. "That'd be why." I looked at Dad and saw the worry clearly written all over his face. He nodded at me as I swallowed to keep calm. The car stopped at a red light, and it wasn't helping my cool, but we eventually began to move again.

"Mr. Reese," Berg began and pulled the trigger.

I pushed myself in front of Reese and braced myself for the shot, but Dad pushed the gun so that the shot went out the window instead. Dad grabbed the shotgun and threw it over where my head would've been if I were sitting up, but I was lying on Reese's lap taking deep breaths. I closed my eyes for a second, not even bothering to care if Reese was uncomfortable. I just saved his life; well, kinda.

"Al, you okay?" Dad asked, snapping me back to reality.

I sat up. "Yeah," I sighed. I heard one car revving; sounded like an older car. Then a split second later, there was another revving and big crash. One car hit the other car, which in turn caused us to go spinning into a concrete barrier. I immediately figured that someone tried to save us by going next to us, while the first car tried to kill us because of Reese. "Told ya we shoulda taken the unmarked car," I mumbled to Dad as I got out of the car to see our savior.

"Did not," Dad mumbled back. "Stay here, Mr. Reese."

I laughed and walked to the wreckage. I saw the smashed up Lamborghini sitting next to our car. I ran my hand over it. "Such a shame. Such a nice car." I heard chuckling coming from the driver, who was still in the car. I opened the passenger seat and looked at Bruce Wayne. What do you know? Batman saved him after all. I smiled. "Nice car." I stuck my hand out for him to grab.

"Was," he mentioned as he climbed out and sat on the asphalt.

"You all right?"

"I am," he said with a smirk, "now that you're here."

I narrowed my eyes and put my hands on my hips, but I felt myself blushing.

"Mr. Wayne, isn't it?" Dad asked walking up. "That was a very brave thing you did," Dad congratulated.

Bruce looked up at him with confusion all over his face. "Trying to catch the light?"

Dad looked at him dumbfounded. "You—you weren't protecting the van?" Dad had a valid point. I suspected him to be Batman, but of course, Bruce was probably just trying to be the billion-dollar playboy we all expected him to be.

"Why?" Bruce asked. "Who's in it?" Bruce put his hand on the tire of the Lamborghini and looked around at Reese, who was getting out of the car. He stared at Bruce, and almost a thousand words were shared in that glance. Reese was astounded and Bruce just very subtly nodded.

I saw one of the detectives raise his eyebrows at me as Reese walked over to him. I nodded, and Reese was whisked away from my life, not that I cared.

"You think I should go to a hospital?" Bruce asked, rubbing his neck.

I burst out laughing at that. After a few seconds, I looked at Bruce, who was smirking at me with that amazing smirk that made my heart melt. "You don't watch a whole lotta news, do ya, Bruce?"

**Well, I think that it was pretty good. I hope that you all like it. I can't believe I only have like 30 pages left of the script to go through and 40 minutes of the movie! It's amazing that I've made it this far. Well, gotta go get sleep. Remember, more reviews = faster updates. Clicky the button =)**


	34. Chapter 34

**Thanks for the reviews.**

**Madelineex3—Well, you got a point. After I read it again, it really wasn't that much of a spoiler. Was I really that obvious? Oh well. Hope that you don't check too much.**

**Blpaul—That was one of my favorite scenes too! My all time fave is the very last one though. It's awesome, and I can't wait to write it. Thanks for the compliment.**

**Fairy Skull—I really enjoyed doing the flirting thing. I thought it would be fitting! Haha. I'm glad that you liked it. The crash was definitely a good part, and I'm glad that I improved it. I always try to keep up the good work. =) **

**SerenityMoonlight—I'm really glad that you like it, especially how she's been put in. It's always a little iffy for it turn out well, since there are parts that make it hard for Alex to squeeze in. I totally agree with about the crashed Lamborghini. It's such an amazing car, and it's completely destroyed. So horrible. I'm really looking forward to doing the ending because I all ready have that part planned out. ;)**

**Kris Knight—I'm really glad that you liked it, and I've never heard "Oh my damn" before. I'm glad that I had you cracking up since I was cracking up writing it too. I know. I was so surprised that there are only 30 pages left! I totally get what your saying. Like I can't wait to be done writing it, accomplishment and all, but I'll be really sad, which is why there's totally gonna be a sequel. =)**

**Sabre—I love that part. Always gets me laughing. Glad that I could make your day! It means a lot that you like it that much. **

**Hannah—Glad you liked it, and people can totally fall in love more than once. I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen there, but there will definitely be more of it at the end. I hope that it's fitting. ;)**

**Well, here's more. Obviously. Hope that it's just as amazing as the rest.**

**Also big announcement ******_**I know that I said Abigail Spencer is what Alex looks like, but I changed my mind and found the perfect person. I think that Evangeline Lilly, who plays Kate in **_**Lost**_** is the perfect Alex.**_****** What do you think? **

We were still gawking at Bruce when there was a low rumble through the asphalt and a boom. I looked up at the sky. There was a tower of black smoke with fire throughout. I looked at my watch. Our sixty minutes were up; I have no idea how an hour passed by so quickly, but it did. Dad and I locked eyes. "Southeast," I mumbled.

"That's—" Dad began, and we finished it together, "Gotham General."

I looked at Bruce, who had question written all over his face. "Harvey Dent."

Dad pulled out his radio. "Did you clear the building?"

"Yeah," some officer said.

Dad clipped the radio back on his belt. "He's out."

I tilted my head to the side, wondering why Dad didn't all ready figure this out. "Dad, the Joker was probably there. What do you honestly think that the chances of him getting out safe really are?"

Dad pondered it for a second before jogging back to the car.

I smiled at Bruce. "Duty calls." I followed after Dad and hopped in the passenger seat as he pulled out and peeled away back to Gotham General. I heard the radio crackling again, and picked it up. "This is Sergeant Gordon," I announced. "Is Harvey Dent safe?" The static came over, but no one answered. "Repeat: Is Harvey Dent safe?" Again, no answer. The car accelerated as we sped towards the hospital.

When we finally pulled up to the hospital, it was nothing more than a skeleton. The Joker obviously used a bigger bomb here than he did at MCU. Most of both buildings were collapsed and still on fire. Fire crews were spraying water on the flames. Glass was everywhere. If anyone was still in there when the bomb went off, they were surely dead now.

Dad stopped car, nearly giving us both whiplash. He jumped out of the car and ran to one of the other detectives there. I followed suit and fell into step with them. "You must know how they were inside," I accused. "You've got patient lists, roll call."

"Sir, Ma'am," the detective pleaded, "right now we're showing 50 people missing. Just one bus." He gestured to the other buses. "All the other buses are being sent out to other hospitals. My guess is we missed one." He put his hand on Dad's arm, but Dad quickly turned around, shaking it free.

"Yeah?" Dad asked. "Well, what's your guess about where Harvey Dent is?"

"Keep looking," I added. "And keep it to yourselves. Anybody asks, we got him out." I looked hard at the guy. "Got that?"

He nodded.

"Al, what are you doing?" Dad demanded.

"Trying to keep the panic down, and us in control," I reasoned.

He turned to Ramirez. "Get the Mayor's office on the line." He turned back to me as he began pacing. "We're gonna need the National Guard."

I nodded. "Yeah, we are," I sighed. "This is bigger than we thought."

"Way bigger," Dad mumbled.

"Gordon! Commissioner!" Johnson called from inside the tent. "Get a load of this! Joker's got Engel." Served that guy right, but more casualties was certainly not what we needed.

Dad and I walked into the shade of the tent and joined the crowd of people in the tent gathered around the TV. The picture wasn't reassuring. It was dark, probably the missing bus. There was a white sheet covering the windows with "Breaking News" written on it in black. A really crappy skyline of Gotham was also painted on the sheet. Engel was sitting there with terror filling his eyes, the Joker's trademark smile across his face. I tensed up a little bit; not enough to be noticed by anyone, but I still felt a hand on shoulder. I looked over at Dad who smiled tensely at me. I nodded and watched what was on the screen.

"This is Mike Engel for Gotham Tonight," he introduced himself. "What does it take to make you people want to join in? You failed to kill the lawyer. I've got to get you off the bench and into the game." Cue cards flew away as he read them out loud to the people watching. "Come nightfall this city is mine."

"Mine," I heard the Joker mumble, and shivers made their way down my spine. This was going to end very, very badly.

"And anyone left here plays by my rules. If you don't wanna be in the game, get out now."

The Joker's mindless mumbling became clearer the more that Engel read.

"But the bridge and tunnel crowd are in for a surprise. Ha ha ha ha ha."

The Joker's cackling began to fill up the airwaves, causing anger to fill the pit of my stomach. Enough fear had taken over my work and life. I was going to get over this, and I was going to make sure that his rules were broken because we were going to catch him. There was no way around that. We weren't going to make it if we didn't.

"Dad," I said under my breath.

"I know," he said. "We'll get him. I don't know how yet, but we will."

I sighed. "We're gonna need a lot of help."

Dad looked at me and motioned for a somewhat secluded spot and walked over there. I followed him. "You're talking about Batman?"

I nodded. "He's got the technology to find him." I shrugged. "What else can we do?"

Dad shook his head and placed his hands back on his hips. "Pray. We can pray."

Johnson came over. "How many men you gonna need tonight, guys?"

"Dunno yet," I answered honestly.

He looked over his shoulder at the city. "Do you mind if I get my ma out?"

I looked over at Dad, who shook his head. "I don't care. Just stick around once she's out."

Johnson nodded and left.

"We can't do this for everybody, Dad."

He glared at me. "Don't you think I don't know that, Sergeant?!"

I backed up with my hands up. "Woah. Easy, Dad." I smiled for a second. "Just chill. We'll figure something out."

Dad didn't respond, but his hands dropped to his sides. He looked out over the city with the orange sun reflecting off the skyscraper windows. Night was coming, but with the night, came Batman, or so we both hoped.

"Sir, the Guard is here, but we're gonna need more men out there," Ramirez said.

Dad looked over at her, pulling his hands back up to hips. "Get riot cops out there."

"How many are you gonna need, Sir?"

Dad looked a little lost at the moment so I took over. "Take all of the riot cops and about twenty officers. That should cover it," I assumed. "Radio if you need more. I'll let ya know how much we can spare."

She nodded and rushed off.

"Alex?" Dad asked, wondering what my thoughts were.

"If we can get a location on the Joker, we're gonna need as many men as we can get. Mostly SWAT or Tact teams," I explained.

"You're really thinking that Batman is gonna get a location on the bastard," Dad realized.

I folded my arms. "It's our only hope."

Dad nodded silently for a while. Gotham General looked like a bombsite, which it was. More like a bombsite void of life. Dad and I were the only ones left because most people were either frantically trying to save family members or protecting the streets. The only sound was of the metal shards falling or shifting in the wreckage. We couldn't stay here. Gotham needed us, and we weren't helping them. I walked slowly across the parking lot to an unused black police sedan. I opened the driver side door and leaned on the roof. "Dad! C'mon! Let's go."

He slowly turned and got in the car. He rested his head in his hands as I turned the motor on. I slowly pulled out and made my way back into the city. We needed to get back to the Mayor's office, but the scene once we entered the city was not a pleasant one. Everyone that owned a car was on the street in it; everyone that didn't was walking on the sidewalks and in the street. Police officers were scattered about helping to guide traffic and keep people from killing one another. Members of the National Guard were also helping out. I found the nearest spot to park, knowing that we weren't going to be driving anywhere.

I shut off the motor. "C'mon, Dad. We're walking."

Something must've snapped while we were driving because the loss of hope that he had was gone and his drive was back. "Then let's go." He took off at a fast pace. I had to jog to catch up before falling into stride next to him. "We'll get him with or without Batman," he announced. He unclipped the radio. "Get every available officer searching the bridges and tunnels. Something's gotta be down there, and let's hope that it's the damned Joker."

I smiled, knowing that Dad wasn't going to let the Joker's threat weigh him down anymore. We made it to the Mayor's office and were immediately let in. Dad and I took seats across the desk from the Mayor. He glared at me a little bit, which was totally uncalled for, but I sighed and redid my ponytail.

"So Gotham General is gone?" the Mayor began.

"Yes, sir," I confirmed.

"And the threat?"

Dad took the lead. "My officers are going over every inch of the tunnels and bridges, but with the Joker's threat, they're not an option."

"And land routes East?" The Mayor folded his arms and leaned on them over his desk.

I shook my head. "Backed up for hours, which leaves the ferries… with 30,000 ready to board. Plus, we were gonna use some of those ferries to get the prisoners off the island."

"The men you and Dent put away?" The Mayor shook his head, "Those aren't the people I'm worried about."

"You should be," I warned. "Whatever the Joker's planning, it's a good bet that Dent's prisoners are involved."

"How would you know?" the Mayor accused.

"It was her case from the beginning," Dad put in. "I wanna get them outta here."

"So where is Harvey?" the Mayor inquired.

"We haven't found him," Dad confessed.

The Mayor lowered his head. He swore under his breath. "How long can you keep this quiet?"

Dad and I looked at each other before answering. "I don't know," I answered honestly.

"You were in charge of the Joker case since the beginning?"

"Yes, sir." _My dad just said that, you idiot._

"What do you think the surprise is?"

I shrugged. "He's always different, so it's hard to say." I sighed. "My guess is something to do with explosives. He tends to like those."

"That should be easy enough to find," Mayor Garcia guessed.

"You would think," Dad mused.

My phone rang. I looked at it. It was Wilson. "Sorry, Mayor, I gotta take this." I walked across the room. "Hey, man. What's up?"

"What do you want us to do with the prisoners?"

"Get 'em out of there. ASAP."

"On it, Al." There was a click as he hung up.

I looked out the window as the sun sunk below the horizon and darkness covered Gotham once again. "We should get out there, Dad."

He nodded. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Mayor." He got up and walked out the door. As soon as we walked into the elevator, Dad's phone rang. "Gordon." There was a pause and a look of panic swept across his face. "Understood. We'll be at the docks shortly. Wait for us to get there before you do anything." He hung up.

I looked at him waiting for an answer.

"The ferries lost their engines," he fumed. "Apparently, Joker rigged the place with explosives. He used the prisoners after all!" He ran his hands through his hair.

I felt anger swell inside my stomach. "Damn!" I didn't have anything else to say.

The elevator dinged, and Dad and I sprinted outside into the car we picked up at the hospital. Dad drove down the back way towards the dock with the pedal to the metal, almost literally. About half way there, my phone rang again. "Gordon."

"I have the Joker's location," Batman growled.

I sighed in relief and closed my eyes just for a few seconds. "Where?"

"Prewitt Building. Assemble on the building opposite." There was a distinct click as he hung up.

I slid the phone back into my jeans. "We got him, Dad, or almost anyway."

"Where we headed?" he asked as he slammed on the breaks.

"Prewitt Building, but we're supposed to assemble on the building opposite." I pulled the radio off of Dad's belt, getting a strange glance from him. I shrugged. "Harry, this is Al. Come in." There was a crackle as I let go of the call button.

After a few seconds, Harry answered the call. "Hey, Al. What's up?"

"Meet me at the building across from Prewitt with as many SWAT members as you can get."

"Why?"

"We got the Joker there," I answered triumphantly. "This is it."

**Well, I guess I'll stop there. I have to admit I'm having so much fun writing this. I hope that you're having just as much fun reading it.I totally can't believe that this is end of chapter 34. It doesn't seem like it should be, but WOW what d'ya know? It is. Please review. I might have another chapter up sometime tomorrow, but until then. Peace. Clicky the button. **


	35. Chapter 35

**Thanks for all the reviews.**

**Kris Knight—I can't wait for the sequel either! Only problem, I don't know what's going to really happen in it yet. I'm so glad that you really like this story. Well, I have Chris Nolan for most of the action, you gotta admit, which is sad, so we'll have to see how the sequel goes. **

**Hannah—Glad that you like it. Don't worry about being brief. Here's more.**

**Madelineex3—I don't think I'm gonna ask why, because I'm afraid of the answer. Just kidding =) Glad that you liked it, and I hope that this was soon enough.**

**Fairy Skull—Yeah, I'm making a sequel! I don't think that I could let this go! I'm just having way too much and I would miss Alex. ;) Well, I'm glad that the work is great. Sorry, I don't have anything else to say. **

**Johanna—Gotta love the word "clicky" even if it's not technically a word. I don't think that I've ever heard of "crapamole" It definitely made me laugh! **

**Sabre—I am continuing. As fast as I can! Lol Yeah, she takes charge; more in this chapter too. I totally agree with you about people not doing anything. Another thing that bugs me, is when girls are just shoved in the background because they're girls, which kind of explains what I write huh?**

**Blpaul—Well, yeah, it was a little bit of an understatement, but the mayor didn't know that. =P lol **

**I was thinking about the story last night, and I realized that this is one of the final three chapters, if I play it right. I don't want this to be because I honestly enjoy writing this story. Don't worry though; there will be a sequel. I don't have a title for it yet, so any suggestions now till the end will be greatly appreciated. **

Everything was set up by the time that Dad and I got to the Prewitt Building. Harry had put snipers on the building opposite of Prewitt and had two teams ready to go at Prewitt. He, himself, was over on the rooftop of Prewitt, ready to go in. He was maintaining almost constant radio contact with the men over on our side however. There were a few other police officers standing guard on the building opposite of Prewitt. Dad and I strode out onto the rooftop, and for a second, as I looked around Gotham, I remembered just how pretty it could be at night. The lights shining out of the office buildings because people couldn't just go home to their families, but unfortunately, tonight, there was too much chaos for any of that to matter.

"Harry," I greeted over the radio. "What's the status?"

"We found the missing hospital bus," he announced.

Dad made his way to the roof's edge and grabbed a pair of binoculars there. I walked over and squeezed in between Dad and the sniper. Dad looked through the binoculars with his glasses perched on his forehead.

"Then we have a hostage situation," Dad groaned. After assessing everything, he handed the binoculars to me.

I gladly took them and looked through them. There were hostages on the floor with there hands tied together, but they looked surprisingly calm for being hostages. Even I freaked out when I was taken hostage, but they looked completely normal. I moved the binoculars over to look at "clowns" the Joker brought up to watch over them. There were three of them lined up in a row, holding guns. They were just standing there in front of the windows. "It's a shooting gallery. Why would he choose a spot with such big windows? He's smarter than that."

"We have clear shots on five clowns," Harry announced over the radio. "Snipers take them out, smash the windows. Team rappels in; teams moves in by the stairwells. 2, 3 casualties max."

"Let's do it," Dad agreed.

"It's not that simple," a deep, dark voice growled behind us. I spun around first and looked into the eyes of Batman. He was just standing there, like everything was normal, but "normal" didn't happen to be a word in his vocabulary. The light wind blew his cape around his legs. "With the Joker, it never is." He had a point there.

I walked across the roof to him, not willing to play _his_ games tonight. "What's _simple_ is that every second we don't take him, those people on the ferries get closer to blowing each other up."

"That won't happen," Batman growled.

"Then he'll blow both of them up!" I reasoned. "I trusted you," I whispered into the breeze as I pulled my jacket closer around me.

Dad had also walked over and was on my side. "There's no time. We have to go in now!"

"There's always a catch with him," Batman rumbled.

"That's why we can't wait," Dad argued.

"We can't play his games," I said, swallowing. "More people always end up getting hurt than we expect."

"I need five minutes! Alone."

"NO!" Dad yelled.

"There's no time," I added.

Batman had made up his mind and walked towards the other edge of the building.

I pulled my gun, "We have clear shots!"

Batman was on the edge.

"Dent is in there!" Dad yelled with his gun drawn too. "We have to save Dent!"

Batman jumped.

Dad lowered his gun. "I have to save Dent," he mumbled. He turned to the sniper, "Get ready."

"No," I said clearly as I put my gun back in its holster. "Let him go, Dad." I could see the anger in his eyes as I defied him. "There's always a catch, and more people are gonna get hurt if we don't let Batman tell us it's all right. I don't have a good feeling about this."

The radio crackled. "Hey, guys, everything all right over there?" Harry asked. "I saw Batman."

Dad nodded.

I grabbed the radio. "Two minutes till go time," I ordered.

"We need to go in now, Al."

"Two minutes," I reiterated. "That's it."

"We need to go now!" Harry protested. "The more time we waste, the better chance our cover is blown."

"Two minutes, Captain!" I yelled.

There was a pause. "Last time I looked, Captain outranked Sergeant."

"I don't give a rat's ass about that right now! Give us two minutes."

There was a longer pause. "Yes, Ma'am."

I sighed and put the radio down on the edge.

Dad put his hand on my shoulder. "That was really brave, Al. Really, really brave." He smiled. "Good job." He picked up the binoculars and watched what was going on over at the Prewitt Building. His phone rang. "Hello." He handed the binoculars to me and walked away.

"Get ready to move in," I heard Harry say over the radio.

"On my signal," I added.

"Alex," he warned.

"Trust me, Harry."

"On Gordon's signal."

I held the binoculars to my eyes and just watched for a second. "Okay. Move in!" People dropped from the roof with their guns held in their hands. I trusted that the team on the stairs was climbing up to.

"Barbara, calm down," Dad pleaded.

I didn't turn around, but I kept one ear open in that direct as I watched the chaos unfold at Prewitt. "What's the status?"

"So far, so good," Harry declared.

"Perfect," the other guy announced.

"Harvey?" I heard Dad say into his phone. This time I turned around. "Where's my family?" Dad hung up after a second. He sighed heavily. "This isn't good," he mumbled.

The snipers loaded their weapons, and set their sights on the clowns. Harry was giving out orders for things that were going on inside the building. I pressed the binoculars against my eyes and looked at the roof, where the team was still dropping down.

"Red team, go!"

I saw an explosion by the stairs and SWAT poured onto the floor, swooping in towards the hostages and clowns. Their weapons were held close as they ran, and the rappelers were still making their way down the glass.

I watched the snipers' red dots on the white clown masks. "Take the shot," I ordered. There were three loud bangs as the glass shattered and then broke, but one thing was missing: the clowns. They were just gone. I looked away from the binoculars. "Something's off."

There was radio static. "They aren't putting down their weapons. Do we take 'em out?"

I sighed. It should've been easy, but something was telling me not to do it. "No."

"Wha—Ah!" There was just static.

Another SWAT came on. "Batman just took out one of our guys, and beat up one of the docs."

I mentally kicked myself. "Damn it!" I ran my hand over my hair. "Where is he?"

"Dunno," the guy answered. "Just disappeared."

Harry's team shot through the windows and landed on the floor. I put the binoculars back to my eyes and looked at the floor. They were pointing their guns at the clowns, probably telling them to drop their weapons. Out of nowhere, Batman slammed the gun of one of Harry's guys into his face, and elbowed Harry in the head, causing to fall to the ground.

"Harry! Harry, are you OK?" I yelled into the radio. "What the Hell is going on in there?" I ordered to anyone that would listen.

The final team leader answered me. "We're in the elevator, and everything is just fine right now."

"Do you have visual on anything else?"

"We're in an elevator," he repeated.

"Sorry," I replied to the radio. "Keep me posted as much as possible." I cursed myself again for letting Batman go in there. "I trusted him," I murmured to the wind. "Why in the world did I trust him again?" I turned my sights to our only hope of getting the Joker, and they were storming off the elevator with their weapons ready. Batman had managed to predict this again, and was beating them up. A few seconds later, a bomb exploded, and our guys fell down a floor. "Take him out!" I ordered. "Take Batman out!" I looked at the building and saw a gun trained on Batman.

"We got him," the unexpected helicopter announced. "He's outta the game."

"Where the Hell did you come from?" I ordered.

"Saw the commotion from the docks," he replied. "Figured you could use the help."

"Thanks."

Batman kicked the SWAT guy over the edge, and every single officer left was pulled over the edge to the concrete below. Instead of falling to their death, they just dangled on the side of the building. Why didn't he just let them die if he wasn't on our side? Then it clicked, like a light bulb over my head. I understood the catch.

"The clowns are the prisoners," I mumbled in awe. It was pure and utter genius. I grabbed the radio. "Change of plans. Save the clowns, attack the prisoners!"

"Are you crazy?" one of the dangling SWAT members asked.

"Think about it. There's always a catch, and the clowns wouldn't lower their weapons. Those idiots the Joker hires aren't that brave." The SWAT began attacking the prisoners and saving the clowns, but what drew my attention was what was happening a few floors up. The Joker was there, with his new dogs. They were attacking Batman, and Batman wasn't winning. "Helicopter?"

"Yeah?"

"Ascend a few floors, and stand by."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Batman was shoved through a piece of glass and out onto scaffolding. The Joker was on top of him in a second with a piece of metal, probably pipe, suffocating him.

"Red team, Alex, the hostages are safe."

"Good," I replied to the radio.

"Gordon, we got the Joker in our sights. What do we do?"

"Stand by."

"It's midnight, Al," I heard Harry say.

I sighed in relief that he was okay. "I know. Tell me if and when the Joker gets a detonator. Until then, stand by."

I watched intently at the scene displayed before me. The Joker on top Batman looking completely mystified, and Batman just lying there, putting up no fight what so ever. Then I saw it: the detonator. "On my signal," I ordered. "Ready, aim—" Batman shot something from his arms into the Joker, and the detonator flew backwards, and the Joker flew over the side of the building. "Get him!"

Dad tapped my shoulder. "Al, Dent's got Barbara and the kids."

I lowered the binoculars from my eyes and turned around. "What?" was all I could say.

Dad just nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

He shrugged. "I don't think that he'll do anything to them without me there."

I pondered that for a second, deciding that he was right. "Where are they?"

"250 52nd Street."

"Let's go," I said as I ran towards of the stairwell with Dad on my heels.

We tore down the stairs until we got to the elevator, which was considerably faster than us until we hit the ground. We sprinted towards the car and gunned it towards 250 52nd Street, where Two-Face was waiting for us.

**Well, that was considerably longer than I expected it to be, so there will probably be three chapters left considering how long the next one shall be. I can't believe that we're this close to finishing the movie. I'm kinda sad. Well, I might not be able to update tomorrow, but I will update very soon. Again, titles for the sequel would be welcome. Please review. You know how I love those =). Clicky the button.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Kris Knight—Thank You!!! That is a huge compliment, I hope you know. I wasn't actually sure that it would turn out well at all. So thanks. I hope I can top it, because I've been looking forward to this chapter like the entire story, so I really hope that I can top it. **

**Madelineex3—Yeah, there will definitely be a sequel, but it may take a little longer to get up because I have some key points, but not enough to have a full plot yet. So I will work on that quickly, and whenever I have time so I can let you all read it. **

**Sabre—You were definitely long winded, which makes my review-reply thing also long. I'm so glad that this chapter was so amazing. I thought that it would make it a little interesting if she ordered the SWAT to take out Batman. You are totally right about why she did it, but just imagine how she felt, since she thought it was Bruce, the guy she's liked since high school, and the fact that he had always been on her side. I think that what she did was incredibly gutsy. Trust me, I'm also excited/nervous about this chapter too!!! AAH! Wish me luck.**

**Fairy Skull—I'm glad that you love it. Sequel huh? Well, it's definitely kinda romance, if it goes as planned, but it will have a lot of cop stuff in it too. Definitely. Can't have Al without police. =) Well, that's definitely encouraging. I will get it up ASAP.**

**Johanna—I see now about the crapamole thing. Don't worry; we've had fads at our school that never seem to go away for some people. I cracked up so hard at the Meany McMeanykins! I'm not kidding! It made me laugh sooo hard. I agree with you, but still it's funny.**

**Blpaul—I'm not sure how action-packed this one will be, but I hope that you like it anyway. And you're making me more nervous about this. _**

**Were-girl19—Yeah, this chapter will be very interesting. I'm not even sure how it's gonna turn out… Eek!**

**Bunny94—Well, so far means almost done, but I'm really glad that you like it. Thanks for the compliment. Here's the update.**

**Hannah—Aww! But I love cliffhangers! They're just so much fun =P. Here's the update.**

**Okay. I'm really nervous for this; I even have adrenaline running through my veins….. Please wish me luck. I think that it'll be okay, but I'm not sure and I'm a little nervous. Okay, a lot nervous. I'll stop rambling**

Dad and I were in the car on the way to 250 52nd Street, and I could tell that Dad was really nervous about this. His face was taught, and his leg was bouncing up and down on the floor of the car. I was definitely glad that I was behind the wheel because I wasn't as nervous; I just wanted this guy to pay for the trouble he had caused us all. I grabbed the radio as we pulled onto 52nd Street. I had a feeling that we were going to need back up for this situation.

"This is Sergeant Gordon," I announced. "I need as many men as you can get over at 250 52nd Street."

Dad shot a glance my way. "What are you doing? This is family business."

"This is a hostage situation," I corrected.

Dad just shrugged.

"What for?" Wilson responded over the radio.

"Unknown situation. I just need a perimeter and wait for either the Commissioner's or my signal."

"Aye aye," Wilson said.

I put the radio back in the cup holder and slowed to a stop outside of the warehouse that was pretty much a skeleton from the explosion that took place about 24 hours ago. I turned off the ignition, but Dad was out before the car even stopped moving. He had his gun drawn and was moving towards the burnt building. I rolled my eyes, knowing that him getting this emotionally involved was going to get him hurt. I stepped out of the car with my gun drawn and held it tightly by my side.

Dad was all ready in the warehouse by the time I caught up to him. His gun was lowered a little bit, but his eyes were darting about with his head looking up. "Dent!" It echoed off the scorched walls. He continued to move forward, not even paying attention to me. He began to climb the stairs.

I grabbed his shoulder, turning him around before making our ascent. "Dad," I hissed softly, "this could end badly. Be cautious."

He nodded, but I doubt that was even focusing enough on me to make any difference. He climbed up the metal stairs with me not far behind him. We made it to the second level, which was somehow covered in dirt, with no sign of Dent. Dad was being a little more cautious, but once he saw his family, he threw caution to the wind. He began to jog in their general direction, but I covered him by going around a little back way. I heard Dad fall to the ground and Barbara screaming quietly. I assumed that Dad was disarmed, and that Harvey wasn't expecting me, or so I really, really hoped. I hid behind one of the supports, probably like Dent did to ambush Dad. Well, let's hope it would work for me too. After a few seconds, the only gravel I heard crunching were footsteps, but Dad hadn't gotten up off the ground yet.

"This is where they brought her, Gordon. After your men handed her over." It was then that I realized the footsteps were coming closer, and Dent was definitely coming in my direction. He stopped right next to me, and I felt my breathing slow to a near stop. "This is where she died."

I peeked around the support to see him staring up into space. I locked eyes with Dad for a second and gave him the thumbs up.

He nodded and tried to buy me time. "I know; I was here." He rolled over onto his side, holding his head. He locked eyes with me again to make sure that I was okay. "Trying to save her."

Dent turned. He was still close enough to me that any movement could get me killed, but his attention was on Dad now. "But you didn't."

"I couldn't," Dad pleaded.

"Yes, you could've. If you'd listened to me, if you'd stood up against corruption, instead of doing your deal with the devil." I felt my hand clench around the gun, and knew that if he kept this up, I would be blowing my cover in a heartbeat.

"I was trying to fight the mob!" Dad argued, obviously angry too at Dent's accusations.

Dent loaded his gun, but didn't move. "You wouldn't dare try to justify yourself if you knew what I'd lost." I did, but Dent didn't know I was there, so I kept my slightly unhappy opinions to myself. He didn't say anything for a while as if pondering what to do. He moved backward just a little bit, and that space that was filled brought him closer to me. "Have you ever had to talk to the person you love most? Tell 'em it's gonna be all right, when you know it's not?" He nodded and pulled me from the shadows and had my gun out of my hand before I even knew had happened. He pressed his gun to my head. "Well you're about to know what that feels like. Then, you can look me in the eye and tell me you're sorry." He loaded the gun.

"Don't you dare touch my daughter!" Dad begged with pain in his eyes. "I swear I'll kill you with my own two hands!"

Dent smirked. "Well, you seem to need her pretty badly," he teased.

I squirmed around and tried to get free, but the muzzle of Dent's gun pressed deeper into my temple. "Get your filthy hands off me."

His smirk widened. "Talk to her, Gordon. Tell her it's gonna be all right."

Dad's face had this fear/pain stricken look on it as he tried to find the right words. "Al, sweetie, I swear that it's gonna be just fine." He swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears. "You're gonna make it out of this; I know you will."

I raised an eyebrow at him. Dent had a pistol to my skull; why was he thinking I could make it out of this? I could see a tear run down his face. This was going to be exactly like when Mom died, except I was still talking. _Light bulb moment!_ I could turn this plan against Dent, by talking back to Dad. "Dad, don't worry about telling me it's gonna be okay, because I'm not afraid of death." I saw Dad and Dent's face change to surprise, but Dad's face quickly changed to sadness. "I'll be dying in the line of duty, and that's what I want."

A tear came to Dad's eye, and rolled down his cheek. "Don't think that way, Sweetie. You're gonna be fine. I'm sorry, Al. I'm so sorry." He looked up at Harvey. "I'm sorry. Just letter go."

Dent didn't say anything.

I felt tears come to my eyes. "You'll move on, and everything will be okay. Life goes on, Dad. Didn't I tell you not to worry about me?" I smiled.

Dad nodded, and Dent just looked completely surprised. Apparently this wasn't how he intended this to be going. He pulled out his coin instead. He held the scorched side up, "She dies, and you're precious daughter is no more." He flipped it over, "She lives and I move on to the rest of your family." He tossed it into the air.

"Please let her live," I heard Dad praying as the coin flipped over and over. "I can't stand to lose everything of Jenny." I heard soft, slightly held back sobs as the coin landed.

Dent flipped it over one last time before showing it: it was the unscorched side. I sighed in relief. "She's a lucky one, Gordon. You should keep her around." He raised the gun up and slammed it into the right side of my head, sending me to the ground.

I lay there helplessly, still coming back from the shock of getting hit in the head as he moved over to the rest of Dad's family. I reached up to the spot where he hit me and pulled my hand back covered in blood. Great! Just what I needed. "That hurt, you two-faced son of a bitch!"

Dent looked over his shoulder at me, but still moved on.

I looked at my dad and shook my head in apology. I had tried to buy his family some time, but that didn't work.

"You're not gonna hurt my family," Dad reasoned.

"No," Harvey agreed. "Just the person you love most, next to your precious daughter."

I spit on the ground to show my dislike in what he just said.

He spun on his heels. "You wannanother chance to die?" he threatened. He shook his head, apparently through with me. He knelt down and loaded the gun, pressing it to Barbara's temple. "So is it your wife?"

Dad raised his hand in a weak attempt to stop him. "Put the gun down, Harvey. Please, Harvey, put down the gun." It seemed to be a little bit of a shaky marriage from what I could see. Dad still really loved Mom, and no woman could ever replace her. Barbara was shaking and Dad's efforts to get Dent to leave her alone rose a little bit, but apparently not enough for Dent's liking.

He moved onto Jimmy, placing the gun in his blond hair. He looked up to watch Dad's reaction.

"Oh, c'mon. Dammit, Harvey! Will you stop pointing that gun at my family?!"

I shook my head hard. _No, Dad! Stupid move, Dad! Jimmy's so screwed now!_ I cursed silently. I pounded the ground with my fists! Then, I saw my gun poking out of his belt. If I could just get him on the ground, I could get my gun, disarm him and end this whole thing.

Dent laughed, and pulled Jimmy up. "We have a winner," Dent announced.

"No! No!" Barbara sobbed. "Jim, stop him!"

"Harvey," Dad pleaded as Dent carried him past me.

I dragged myself and tried to grab at Dent's pants to pull him down. I needed to get to my gun, but as soon as I made contact with his leg, he turned and kicked me in the face, nearly knocking me unconscious again.

"Alex!" Dad cried, rolling to face where the action had gone. "Harvery! I'm sorry! For everything!" Dad's eyes were brimming with tears. "Please don't hurt my son, and leave Alex alone. You all ready said she was out."

Dent held Jimmy close by his head with the gun held up. Jimmy was crying.

I looked to the sky, hoping for our black winged savior to appear and get rid of Dent. Dogs began to bark, meaning that instead of Batman, the police were here to save us. I smiled.

Dent rolled his head, and eyes, which was quite frankly creepy. "You brought your cops?"

"All they know is that there's a situation," I explained carefully.

"Shut up!" Dent yelled, pointing his gun at me again.

"They don't know who or what," Dad finished. "They're just creating a perimeter."

"You think I wanna escape from this?" Dent demanded. "There is no escape from this."

"You don't want to hurt the boy, Harvey," a deep voice rumbled from the shadows.

I rolled my eyes and held my again, wishing he had shown up a little sooner considering all the blood spilling out of my head. When I pulled my hand away that time, I felt everything start to spin and my vision go darker. Hand either stays on or off the wound, I decided.

Dent looked a little nervous now that Batman had arrived, meaning there was more room for screw-ups. I knew I was going to need as much energy as I could get to pull off any stunt that would work so I closed my eyes and lowered my head onto the dirt.

"Al," I heard Dad whisper.

"It's not about what I want!" Dent argued. "It's about what's fair!" That one echoed through the warehouse. "You thought we could be decent men in an indecent world." I heard him panting, and I was kind of glad that I wasn't watching this all take place. "Well, you were wrong. The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance. Unbiased, unprejudiced, fair. His son's got the same chance she had."

I clenched my fists on the dirt, picking up a little bit of sand and rocks inside my fists. I was going to prove to him that people could totally screw up chance, because he wasn't going to die. Not on my watch. Jimmy was too young to die. I opened my eyes and slowly, quietly rolled over.

"50/50," Dent said.

"What happened to Rachel wasn't chance," Batman protested. "We decided to act. We three." He motioned to Dad, himself and me. When his eyes met mine, he nodded, like he had a plan.

"Then why was it only me who lost everything?" Dent pleaded. I could hear the emotion in his voice.

I looked at Batman. He was the only one who could do anything at this point in time, and I really hoped that we were thinking the same thing. I saw Batman's lip quiver and his breathing hitch. I was positive now, without a doubt in my mind that Batman was Bruce Wayne. "It wasn't."

"The Joker chose me," Dent complained. I forgot how petty he could be sometimes.

"Because you were the best of us," Batman explained. "He wanted to prove that even someone as good as you could fall."

There was a moment of silence with just Jimmy and Barbara quivering. "And he was right," Dent finally said.

"You're the one pointing the gun, Harvey," Batman pointed out. "So point it at the people responsible."

Dent looked at Dad, then at me (I promptly closed my eyes again), and then finally at Batman. "Fair enough." He held up the coin again. "You first." He flipped the coin, looked at it, and fired the gun into Batman's stomach.

I felt my breath catch as he fell to the ground. I cursed silently. There went my plan! Then, I felt tears coming to my eyes, which was something I was not expecting. Not only was Batman the most loyal "cop" we could get, but Bruce was someone that I could actually call my friend. Besides, I didn't want to see someone else get killed because of this madman called the Joker. I looked over at Dad, who was also getting tears in his eyes too. This was not turning out how I planned, and I guessed that I was going to be given a second chance at death, but instead he held the gun to his head.

"My turn." The coin's singing went up in the air and back down. Dent turned the gun on himself, but once the coin landed, he lowered the gun to Jimmy's head.

"Harvey, you're right. Rachel's death was my fault." By this time, Dad had tears running down his cheeks. This must have just been killing him. "Please don't punish the boy." He looked over at me, but I was still lying in my unconscious stage. "You all ready punished her. Please punish me."

"I'm about to," Dent said quietly. "Tell your boy it's going to be all right, Gordon. Lie, like I lied."

I felt hot tears of anger and fear trickle off my eyelids and onto the dirt. This could not be happening. I looked up at Jimmy, who was crying himself now.

"It's going to be all right, son."

Dent flipped the coin up and followed it with his eyes.

I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the world going black around me, and charged Dent. I heard a growl beside me as Batman and I both rammed into Dent. I connected with his stomach and flew off the side of the building, out of where the window should've been. I grabbed hold of Dent's waist as soon as I felt Jimmy disappear. Everything was happening so fast that I wasn't sure what exactly was going on.

"Alex!" I heard Bruce yell.

I rolled over slightly on Dent and reached up to his hand, where Jimmy was holding so tightly. His fingertips brushed mine, but I was all ready to far down for it to count. I collided with the ground on my shoulder. I heard something pop from my shoulder and I was in agonizing pain. I grunted and held my shoulder as I rolled off of Dent onto, surprise, more dirt. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the burning in my head and shoulder. I groaned as I rolled my head to see if Dent was okay. He wasn't; in fact, he was dead. I sighed and just lay on the hard, itchy dirt with my eyes closed. Wood broke and I heard a thud beside me. I swallowed and endured the pain I had as I turned my head the other way, very slowly, to see who fell next to me. It was Batman. I felt my heart drop and closed my eyes again. It was almost too painful to keep them open.

I heard footsteps and the sound of Dad's wedding band scrape against the handrail. The gravel crunched as he approached me. The footsteps stopped by my stomach and I felt Dad's hand upon my cheek. I heard him sob once. "Alex, why? Couldn't you just stay unconscious?" A tear hit my cheek. "Did you have to be so brave? Why, Ali? Why?" He rubbed his hand against my cheek and through my hair since it had fallen out of its ponytail.

I couldn't stand hearing Dad this way, so I slowly opened my eyes and looked up into his brown ones. I was just going to have to endure the pain. I made a small smile. "I learned from the best," I whispered and coughed. Apparently the impact had knocked some air out of me.

Dad let out a relieved laugh. "Are you all right?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Gosh, you are pathetic," I exasperated. "I just fell a couple stories onto my shoulder after getting hit in the head. Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." I lifted up my right arm, since it wasn't in excruciating pain. "Now, help me up."

Dad grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet.

I cradled my left arm and stuck out my hand to Dad. "Can I borrow your tie?"

"Why?" Dad asked, holding his tie in his hand.

"I wanna be an Emo rockstar," I faked. "Sling." I pointed to my arm.

He pulled it off quickly, and squatted down next to Batman, who was still lying unconscious.

I tied it around my neck and knelt down beside him. I put my hand on Batman's stomach, where the bullet went in. I teetered a little bit as the world continued to get darker through my eyes.

"Dad! Dad, is he okay?" Jimmy squeaked from two stories up.

Dad pulled out his radio to call it in.

Batman grunted as he pulled the radio out of Dad's hand and rolled over. He struggled to get up, holding his side.

I held out my right hand against his chest to help him out.

He took my hand in his, and looked me in the eyes as he stayed on his knees for a while, panting for breath.

I pulled my hand free and stood next to Dad, who gently put his arm around my waist.

"Thank you," Dad said.

"You don't have to thank me."

"Yes, I do," Dad said.

"Though it would've been nicer if you came earlier," I mumbled holding out my hand that was still covered in blood.

He nodded sadly.

I looked at Dent, leaning my head on Dad's shoulder in exhaustion. "The Joker won." I stared down at the body, leaning more and more on Dad for support.

"Harvey's prosecution, everything he fought for. Undone."

"Whatever chance you gave us of fixing our city… dies with De—Harvey's reputation."

"We bet it all on him," Dad admitted. "The Joker took the best of us, and tore him down."

"People will lose hope," I sighed, looking up at Batman.

"They won't," Batman promised. There was silence for a while. "They must never know what he did."

"Five dead," I exclaimed, immediately regretting it. My head was throbbing. "Two of them cops? We can't sweep that off."

Batman struggled to his feet. "But the Joker cannot win." He trudged over to Dent and knelt down, turning Dent's over to the unburnt side. "Gotham needs its true hero."

"No!" I breathed heavily.

"You either die a hero, or live to see yourself become the villain," Batman quoted. "I can do those things. Because I'm not a hero, not like Dent. I killed those people. That's what I can be."

"No! No, you're not!" Dad added.

"You are a hero though," I interjected. "You can't."

"I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be." He handed the radio back to Dad. "Call it in."

"They'll hunt you," I tried.

"You'll hunt me," he agreed. "You'll condemn me, set the dogs on me because that's what needs to happen. Because sometimes the truth isn't good enough, sometimes, people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded." Batman looked at me hard in the eyes, and then turned to run away. His feet left the ground as he glided forward.

This was probably going to be my only chance, so I went for it. I broke free of Dad's grasp and followed after Batman. I heard Dad tell me to stop. That it wasn't good for me, blah, blah, blah. I finally caught up to him. The only reason why I did was probably because he got shot. I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around, which took a lot of effort on my part. He wasn't really happy about stopping, but he stared at me anyway.

"No interruptions," I whispered as I leaned into him.

He leaned into me and pressed his lips to mine. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. I snaked my right arm around his neck and let my mouth open so that his tongue could slip next to mine. After about thirty seconds of the best kiss of my life, I let go and pulled back. Batman pulled away, but left his arm around my waist. He smiled at me before letting go and running off into the shadows. I smiled and trudged back to where Dad and Jimmy were. I felt relatively lightheaded now, and I knew that I wasn't going to stay conscious much longer.

"He didn't do anything wrong!" Jimmy protested.

"Because he's the hero Gotham deserves," I said as I slid towards Dad's side. "Just not the one it needs right now." I ruffled Jimmy's hair and leaned on Dad, feeling weaker and weaker.

Dad wrapped his arm around my waist to balance me, since my shoulder hurt. "So we'll hunt him because he can take it," Dad explained. "Because he's not our hero, he's a silent guardian…"

"…a watchful protector," I added in a whisper, seeing the entire world fade to black. "A dark knight."

Dad nodded.

We stared for a second at the spot where Batman had vanished, but I had lost enough blood and was in enough pain that I just gave up. Everything went black and I collapsed on the ground.

**Well, that was a Hell of a lot longer than I expected! It's like 12:50 AM as I'm typing this now, and no matter how much I wanted to go to bed I couldn't stop writing it. It's eleven pages on Word and it's just about perfect in my standards, or at least what I had in my mind. I want lots of reviews on this because it took me like five hours to write. Please, please review! Clicky the nice little button there. =D 3**


	37. Chapter 37

**Hannah—I'm glad that you liked it. I thought that this would be the perfect timing for them to kiss. ;) I don't know why, but I did. Well, there will be a little bit of Bruce/Alex in this chapter, but not a lot. **

**Fairy Skull—I'm glad that you're clicking. It seems to keep the reviews coming in even thought "Clicky" is a little weird. Well, not quite sequel time. There are a few clips at the end that kinda sum up after it, so I'm gonna do those. I like both of those titles, and well, at least, they're titles. I know they kissed! I hope that it wasn't too incredibly bad, but according to you, it wasn't. I'm glad that you like it. **

**SurferGirl711—I'm so glad that you love this story! Too bad it's almost over. I'm glad that I did a good job on the chapter. There will be one last chapter to this story, and then there will be a sequel with all of my own ideas. Hope that answers your question. **

**Blpaul—I love all the compliments!!! =D They means lots! I'm glad that you thought it was perfect. I thought that it would go well, especially since we all agree there was chemistry between them. **

**Kris Knight—I'm really glad that I did, because that chapter had been in my head for so long. I'm glad that it was your favorite, and here's the final chapter. I can't tell you when the sequel will be up, since I don't have a total plot line. That's what was nice about the movies. So I will need to get up a plot line, but it will be up as soon as possible. Question: Why did you review on chapter one?**

**Bunny94—I think it was a lot of dedication. That and I knew I didn't have to get up till like noon. =) Not over yet, and I'm glad that you loved it. The sequel will be up soon… I hope. **

**Sabre—Thank you for the compliment. I love that speech too! It's really emotionally stimulating… for lack of better term, and Gary Oldman did such a good job with the character and emotion. I love Gary Oldman in every role that I've seen him in. My all time favorite speech was in **_**Independence Day**_**. The one the president made. Definitely my all time fave! Don't hold your breath because I like your reviews! =P**

**Were-girl19—This is the final chapter, and there will be some hint to what happens to Bruce and Alex. Most of that will be in the sequel, so you'll have to read that.**

**Katie—I'm glad that you like it. Here's the final chapter, but you can find the sequel (eventually) on my page.**

**SerenityMoonlight—I'm glad that it was "awesomely good." I'm glad that that part was good because I could actually see myself in her place as I was writing it. I think a lot of people were squealing when they kissed. I think that that is one of the coolest compliments I've ever gotten. No one ever said that they wished it were in the movie until you. Thank you for that! It made my day!**

**Caleb's Babe—Thank you for the compliment. Here's more.**

**Undermyumbrella—Isn't that a quote from a Rihanna song? Not that it matters. Thank's for the compliment.**

**Madelineex3—I'm glad that it was the best, because I really wanted it to be. I don't how I did it justice, but I'm glad that you love it. Those last lines were like the best of all time! It's just amazing the writing power of Chris Nolan. You would think that Bruce might have a smile for a while after Alex's smooch. You get to see what he thinks of it in this chapter. **

**Also, I know that it's past July 4****th****, but if you are in the Armed Forces, I would personally thank each one of you, but since I don't know you, I will just settle with a mass THANK YOU! You are doing so much for this country, and I want to thank you for putting your lives out there to keep our country free. Freedom doesn't come free, so thank you for everything.**

**OK I lied, which is a good thing for you because this shall not be the final chapter. It always takes up more room than I think, so there will be like one or two more chapters. Yay for you! Hope that it's just as good as the last ones.**

Finally, I woke up to the sound of the rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor and the sun shining in my eyes. Looking up at the foam tiles and fluorescent light on the ceiling confirmed I wasn't at home, or even at Dad's place. I felt something in my right arm that wasn't normal, and when I looked down, I saw the needle, which I followed up to the IV drip. I knew I was a patient at one of Gotham's many hospitals. "What happened?" I mumbled. It was more to myself than anyone in particular, but a shifting next to me made me look over.

Dad raised his head up from its position on his hands. "Hey," he smiled. "How ya feelin'?"

"Weird," was the only word I could find.

Dad laughed and handed me a package that was taped shut. "I figured that you wouldn't want hospital food so I got you a salami sandwich from that place you like."

I smiled. "Thanks." I tore open the paper. "What time is it anyway?" I sunk my teeth into the sticky bread and meat, closing my eyes to savor it.

He looked at his watch, but didn't really pick up what the time was. "Well, I'm on my lunch break. So that gives you a decent idea."

I stopped chewing. "You serious?" I said, swallowing the bite in my mouth. "I've really slept that long?"

Dad nodded.

"Wow," I breathed as I took another bite out of my sandwich. "So what's wrong with my shoulder?" I wondered as I attempted to use it to sit up in the bed. I fell back down almost immediately, holding it in pain. I rolled my eyes and used my right arm instead.

"You dislocated it," a doctor explained as he walked in. He grabbed my chart off the foot of my bed and looked over it.

I raised my eyebrows and continued eating my sandwich. "Doesn't feel out of socket?" I mumbled through the food in my mouth.

Dad narrowed his eyes. "Al…" he warned.

I swallowed and wiped off my mouth. "Sorry. Go on."

"When you fell, it popped out and popped back in, totally straining your muscles," he explained.

"Ouch."

"I would say so," the doc said. "You should be fine. Just be gentle with it for a few weeks, and after that work it out again." He flipped a page over. "It's your head I'm worried about." He looked up at me. "How's it feeling?"

"Just a dull headache," I answered.

He nodded and made some notes. "Well, you seem like you're pretty stable according to the last few notes on here, so we can probably let you out of here by tonight." He smiled at me, and walked out.

There was silence and I looked about my room. Not much to look at, but there were a couple balloons dangling from the ceiling. There was a bouquet of flowers on the bedside table. I reached over and grabbed the card from it.

_To the one girl who kicks more ass than any guy I know._

_Heal up quick, Al._

_Wilson_

I smiled and put the card back next to the flowers as I finished up my sandwich.

Dad made a sudden move for his pocket. "That reminds me." He pulled a card out of his jacket. He handed the card to me. "This was at the office when I got in this morning."

I looked at him questioningly as I slipped my thumb underneath the envelope's sealer. I pulled out the card. It had a couple pink lilies on it with little swirlies on it. There was a leaf on the background where the text was written in white: _Give yourself whatever gifts of time and rest you need to feel better—and know that you're surrounded by caring thoughts and heartfelt wishes. _I opened it up and read the text inside: _Rest Easy. Get Well._ There was some handwritten stuff at the bottom from whomever it was from.

_I figured it was fitting, since you don't get a lot of sleep. _

_Bruce Wayne_

_PS. You're a good kisser ;) Call me: 735-298-1665_

I smiled and felt my cheeks heat up. I held the card to my chest, ignoring the pain in my shoulder.

"Who's it from?" Dad wondered.

"Bruce Wayne," I smiled.

Dad raised his eyebrows, and watched my cheeks turn into a brighter shade of red. "Whatever," he sighed. "I gotta get back to work."

I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. "I'm coming too."

He pushed me back on the bed and threw my legs onto the mattress. "Not today," he scolded. "But I suppose you could come tomorrow, since you're gonna be there anyway."

I smiled innocently. "Why would you think that?" I sang.

He rolled his eyes and headed towards the door. "It's Harvey's funeral tomorrow."

I groaned and leaned back on the bed with my right arm under my head.

Dad laughed and leaned on the door. "Don't worry about it. I'm doing the speech." He lightly pounded on the door and walked out.

I leaned back and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was definitely going to be interesting, but I was just going to take it one day at a time. That night I went home just to relax. I struggled into my GPD sweatshirt and jeans and crashed on the couch to watch the news. I couldn't believe that I really was turning into Dad. I walked back to the kitchen to see what there was to eat. I pulled open the fridge, and the cold air blew onto my face. I searched the fridge with my right hand, letting the door lean up against me. The only thing I could find was Chinese take out from last week, but it couldn't have been that bad. I smelled it, and it still smelled like Chinese, so I popped it onto a plate and stuck in the microwave. After it was done, I pulled it out and dug in. It was still pretty good. Eventually, I decided that it was time for me to go to bed. I popped my Vicodin, set my alarm, changed into lounge pants, and crawled into bed for a slightly unpleasant nights sleep, but there were no nightmares to consistently wake me up. When morning came, I was woken by the beep of my alarm clock. I sighed and rolled over to turn it off.

I got out of bed and changed into a pair of black pants and a navy blue blouse, which was baggy enough that it didn't take much effort to pull on. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, but regretted that when my hand touched the tender area where I had been hit with Dent's gun. I let it go and walked to the mirror and looked at myself. I had certainly looked better in my life, but it wasn't that bad. I gently ran a brush through my hair and pulled it back. After looking at the nicely shaved square of head with a red line through it, I decided on just letting my hair hang around my shoulders today, and for the next couple months, I realized sadly. I clipped my gun holster and badge onto my belt and walked out the door. One problem: my bike was still at MCU…. I frowned and pulled out my phone. I pressed the most worn out speed dial on my phone and let it ring.

"Hello," Dad answered.

"Hey, Dad," I greeted as I got on the elevator. "I don't have a ride. Where are you?"

"Well, I just left our apartment," he explained. "I can be there in like five minutes."

I sighed since I was all ready out of my apartment building. "Do you just want to meet me over at the Starbucks on the corner?"

There was a pause. "Sure. Sounds like a plan, but you gotta get me some coffee too. Ran out of time to make it this morning."

I smiled. "Deal."

"See ya in a few."

"Thanks." There was a click and slid the phone back into its holder. I stuffed my hands into my pockets and walked down the sidewalk through the sea of people into Starbucks. The aroma of coffee filled my nose as I stood in the morning line of people waiting to get coffee. After a couple minutes, I ordered both Dad and I coffee with a little sugar in it. I stood by the counter and waited. There was a tap on my shoulder, and I spun around, getting hair in my face.

"Morning," Dad greeted.

I brushed the hair out of my face. "Morning to you too."

"Two grande coffees with sugar," the lady announced and handed them over.

I attempted to grab them, but my shoulder protested. I grabbed one at a time and handed one over to Dad.

"This is probably a stupid question, but how's your shoulder?"

I glared at him. "What do you think?"

He smiled. "I'm guessing that it hurts."

I nodded. "Not that bad though. I just took a couple Advil this morning, instead of the Vicodin."

He tilted his head back and forth for a couple seconds. He took a sip of coffee and motioned towards the door. "We gotta funeral to attend."

I narrowed my eyes and nodded. "Probably should go."

I followed him towards the door and out into the bustling people to the car. I sunk into the passenger seat and took a swallow of coffee, savoring the caffeine. I leaned my head onto the headrest and massaged my shoulder. The driver's door shut and Dad put the key into the ignition. The car roared to life and we slowly pulled out into the traffic. Dad reached out to the consol and turned on the stereo so that it wouldn't just be completely silent. I could tell that he was rehearsing his speech over and over in his head, so I didn't want to bother him. I wondered about this was going to turn out. I knew that most of the force would be there just to be polite, and the media would be swarming. Hopefully Dad knew that; he was exactly a fan of the media. I sighed as we neared the street where the funeral would be held.

**As I said, there will definitely be another chapter, possibly more. This is great news for you guys I'm sure. So, I don't have much else to say. Review please, so clicky the happy rectangular button.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hannah—I'm glad that you really liked it, including the Bruce part ;) Here's more.**

**Kris—I'm glad that it was good. Yeah, Al'll be okay, and I totally agree. I don't think that she would want to stay in the hospital anyway. Okay that makes sense, and I kinda expected something like that. Don't worry about being a dork; I'm a klutz. Hehe. Everyone has their quirks.**

**Blpaul—I've heard that Vicodin is amazing, but I've also heard that it makes you go all wacky, and for some reason, I don't think that Al would want that. Hey, Starbucks is amazing, expensive, but amazing! =D Here's more.**

**Bunny94—Another update for you! =P Yeah, I had that happen to my hip, and OMG did it hurt. I could walk normally for like three months! And I jammed my shoulder, which wasn't that bad, but it was still annoying not to be able to move it very well. **

**Fairy Skull—Yay!! I'm glad that you loved it. I'm really glad that that turned out okay, considering I've never kissed anyone in my life. So I was just going by what I've heard. **

**Johanna—It's not over yet, so the ending shall be interesting. Yay! I'm glad that the timing was awesome, and I could tell that CAPS excite you. LOL Ah, the middle school years. Just got out of them, but hey, they're behind me by two years! WEEEE!**

**Sabre—Well, I would hope that the happy rectangular button would be relatively self-explanatory ;). I can't believe that you squealed, and it made me laugh to hear that. I squealed when I finally got it written. =P It took forever! But you all ready know that. I thought that Bruce's note would add a little bit of humor to it, maybe. Here's the next chapter.**

**Madelineex3—Yeah, some happiness. Hopefully enough to keep him going. Glad that you liked the chapter, and I'm glad that you were happy about it not being the last chapter. Good luck with the storm. That's pretty amazing that you've lived through that many hurricanes. I never have, but that's because we don't really get hurricanes in Colorado. =D**

**Okay, well, this is the last chapter. I know, it's sad, but don't forget about the sequel. =D Don't have much to say. Enjoy.**

We pulled onto 34th Street to be greeted by media. Why wasn't I surprised? There was a swarm of people filling the streets, and I was really happy that we had closed off the street. There was a platform in front of the Gotham Courthouse with a red wood podium and a couple pictures of Dent. The American flag and Gotham's flag framed the platform with white lilies arranged all over it. Everyone was wearing either black or navy, and the men had on their best ties. Cameras from the media crews flashed light when they took pictures. Did they have no respect? I hated Dent, but it was still his funeral, and his family was grieving. I stood next to Dad, hoping to blend into the crowd. I hated funerals ever since Mom died, and being a cop, meant I had attended a few in my life, but never this big. Loeb's didn't count because I was technically on sniper watch.

Someone tapped my shoulder.

I cringed and turned around and smiled. It was Dent's mother. Swell.

"Are you Alex Gordon?" she asked with tears at her eyes.

I put on the sympathetic cop routine. "Yes, Ma'am. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she sobbed and put a tissue to her eyes. "Harvey spoke of you often."

Oh crap! "I'm flattered," I attempted. I looked over at Dad, who had his eyebrows raised.

"You should be, dear," she said, putting her hand on my arm. "He said that you were one of the most loyal cops in this city. That you weren't afraid of standing up for what you believed in." I really was not expecting that. I thought that the guy hated me up to high heaven.

I didn't have anything to say to that. "Again, I'm so sorry for your loss, Mrs. Dent." I smiled and shook her hand. People began to take their seats, or whatever seat they could find. "I think that the ceremony is starting." I walked away and sat in the front row as Dad stepped up to the podium.

"We all know why we're here," he began. "To mourn the loss of one of Gotham's finest men: Harvey Dent. He went from just a man trying to make himself known when he was at Internal Affairs to a man that everyone in Gotham looked up to as the DA in a time when Gotham needed him most, a time when he was our rock, our light, in a dark, unstable time. He was more than just a man that put more than half of Gotham's criminals in jail and the entire mob; he was a hero. Definitely not the hero we deserved, but certainly the hero we needed. Nothing less than a knight. Shining in the darkness the Joker created. He was our White Knight when everything looked black. A man that gave his life trying to save my family." He bowed his head. "Rest in peace, Harvey."

I looked around at everyone. Some were nodding, and most were crying. My eyes locked on Bruce Wayne; he just stood there silently towards the back. He was wearing a much nicer suit than really anyone else here; there were obviously major perks of being a billionaire. He stared at the picture of Dent for a while, and eventually I pulled my eyes back to Dad, who was done talking and had taken a seat next to me.

"Now what?" I whispered.

He leaned over to my ear. "We wait 'til the service is over. It's polite." His cologne wafted into my nose.

"You wore cologne?" I asked incredulously.

He shrugged. "It's a relatively formal occasion."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. I leaned back in the seats and listened to random people go up to the podium and talk about Dent. All of them seemed to love him. Did none of them know that he was a two face? It made me mad that he was going to go away as a hero, when he really was just a guy that did a lot of good, and then turned bad and killed five people! I clenched my fists. I couldn't just sit here and listen to this without making a scene. I stood up and walked over to the sidewalk and began to walk around, mostly back towards the car and away from the funeral. I heard footsteps behind me, and I immediately assumed that it was the media. "No comment. Now leave me alone," I groaned.

"Al, what are you talking about?" Wilson asked.

I stopped and turned around. "I thought that it would be the media, not you."

"Oh," he sighed. "You look nice with your hair down." He blushed a little bit.

I smiled. "Thanks, but I didn't really have a choice."

He raised his eyebrows.

I pulled back the right side of my hair to reveal the shaved rectangle.

"Oh."

"Yeah, but I don't think that we'll really be doing anything incredibly hard for the next few weeks anyway."

"What do you mean?"

I sighed and motioned for us to keep walking down the street. I ran my hands up and down my arms as the wind picked up.

Wilson took off his suit coat and put it over my shoulders.

I looked over at him and smiled. "Thanks." I kept walking until we made it to the corner, which over looked the park. I stopped and looked at the green that made up the park, and the gray clouds that promised more rain tonight. "The Joker has put this city in a stand-still," I said. "All the other criminal activity has stopped. Granted, Dent put most of the mob in prison, but Gotham is shell shocked by the pure evil of the Joker. Gotham's criminals, along with everyone else, are going to be taking it easy so they can put the pieces back into place, even us," I realized sadly.

"Especially us," Wilson said. He looked at me. "What really happened a couple nights ago? Gordon won't budge."

I tense up. "What do you mean?"

"For some reason, I don't see Batman killing those five people. I actually don't see him killing anyone."

I pulled Wilson's jacket tighter around me as I felt chills crawl up and down my spine. I looked over at Bruce, who was still staring at the swarm of people, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. I knew that Dad didn't want people to know this, but it was Wilson. I couldn't do this to Dad, though. "I don't really remember what happened. I was hit in the head. It was all pretty fuzzy, except for the fact that I saved Jimmy from getting killed," I lied. I saw everyone getting up, and Dad began to walk my way. I slid the jacket from my shoulders and handed it back to Wilson. "I should get going. Dad's over there. See ya back at what's left of MCU." I jogged off to join Dad back at the sedan.

He opened the car door. "You know I was just about to go look for you."

I smiled innocently. "What?"

He shook his head.

"I didn't want to make a scene, okay?"

He shrugged and swung into the driver's seat.

I narrowed my eyes as I got into the passenger seat carefully. "So I'm guessing that we're going back to MCU?"

He nodded as the car started, and he pulled out into the stream of traffic that was departing from the memorial service.

We got back to MCU after like three hours of trying to get through the traffic. There were still fire crews looking through the rubble just to make sure that we didn't miss anything, and to sort through what we needed and began to throw out what we didn't need. The rebuild would probably start mid next week, but until then, the building was without heating, and it started to rain. Just what we needed because it was cold rain. I sighed in my office as the cold seeped in. I rummaged through my desk until I found my gray GPD sweatshirt. I struggled into it, trying to ignore the pain in my shoulder as I pulled it over my head. I screamed in my head as I leaned on my desk to regain my composure. I continued to sort through the mass of files that were on the Joker. They would be going into a few boxes, never to be seen again, which I was fine with. I was going to need to move on, and I would, but I knew that it would be difficult. I knew that it would be difficult for all of us.

There was a knock on the door. It was Dad. He held up an axe. "Al, we need to destroy the bat-signal, you know."

I sighed and nodded. "It's not fair, Dad. He didn't do anything wrong."

"I know, Al." He sighed and moved towards the stairway.

I left my things scattered on the desk, except for the picture of Martin and I, which was back in its normal place on my computer. I got up and slid the sleeves down on the sweatshirt as I followed him up the stairs into the rain. We weren't the only ones up there; almost everyone in the building was up on the roof in the rain. The bat-signal was on, and off in the shadows, Batman was there. Dad held the axe like it was the weight of the world. I tried to pull it from him so that I could do it.

Dad pulled back. "You're not hurting your shoulder any more than it all ready is," he scolded in a very parental manner. He swung back, and I could tell that the pain in his eyes were more than just the pain from the axe. It was hard on me too. Batman hadn't done anything wrong; he saved Jimmy, Dad, and me. He even took a bullet himself to do that. What we were doing was not fair to him. Dad hit the bat-signal a few times before all the glass splintered and broke, letting the glass and metal bat fall onto the light. The rain quickly extinguished the light and the roof was covered in darkness. Everyone began to filter off the roof and back down to the office floor.

I looked back up to where Batman was. He was surprisingly still there, just sitting on the fire escape. The rain slid over his suit gracefully. I looked into his almost black eyes and smiled sadly. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, hoping that he would know. He nodded and jumped off into the sky, letting his wings carry him up to the rooftops. I turned back to Dad, who was just standing there over the bat-signal with the axe in his hand.

"Dad," I whispered.

"Barbara and I had a fight last night," he said quietly. "About this actually. Said that my job was completely consuming my life. Said that I still loved Jenny more than her; that I didn't even love her at all."

I put my hand on his shoulder. "Dad, I'm sorry. Let's go inside though."

He turned around.

"The rain is really sinking through my sweatshirt."

He smiled and walked back downstairs, where every officer was still standing. "Mass police, fire, and EMT memorial tomorrow for the many that gave their lives in this battle. I want everyone in their dress uniforms." With that, he headed out the door, leaving all of us just standing there.

The next morning, I came to work in the black dress slacks, white shirt and tie that were required for our uniform, but I couldn't get the jacket on without hurting my shoulder too much. I had it draped over my arm as I walked into my office. I had straightened my hair and pulled it back into a neat bun, which did in fact show the shaved portion of my head, but I figured that I would be wearing my hat anyway. I sat down and just stared at Martin's picture for a while. He would be honored that we were doing this for him and all of the people that had died. I took off my hat and sat it on my desk. I grabbed my jacket and walked across the hall to Dad's office.

He was still standing by the coat rack, tightening his tie. I smiled as he turned around. He really did look really good in his dress uniform, but we never actually wore it that often. He smiled back at me, but it was more of just a way to return my smile, not like he was actually happy. I understood that; it was a giant memorial service for a bunch of our friends that had died.

"Dad, will you help me get into the jacket? My shoulder is deciding to be a pain," I groaned.

Dad nodded. He walked over and picked up the jacket. "Turn around." He helped me slide my left arm into the sleeve and put my right arm in too.

"That hurts," I whined.

He patted my shoulders as I turned around and began to button it up. "Your head looks a little better than it did the other day," he pointed out in a mocking tone.

I narrowed my eyes. "I'll be wearing my hat," I pointed out as I walked back to my office and grabbed my hat and piece of paper that had the speech I had written out last night. Yeah, I was in charge of doing the speech at this funeral, but I didn't really care. I felt extremely honored as I walked out the car and drove to the cemetery where the memorial would be held. It was a surprisingly sunny day for this time of year in Gotham, and it really made all the marble headstones sparkle. The green grass was still wet from the rain last night, and everything looked extremely eerie. There was a place by the trees where another platform was set up. There were five flags put up behind it: American, Gotham Police, Gotham Fire, Gotham EMT, and Gotham. It was surreal, and the white lilies weren't helping.

Wilson came up to me and stuck out his arm for me to take. He looked really quite dashing in his uniform. I felt myself blush a little bit as I took his arm and walked up to the platform. He let me stand at the podium and then took his seat behind me.

I pulled out the speech as people began to file in. Most of everyone that was there was wearing a uniform, and it was a very odd feeling to know that I would be giving the speech that was honoring each and everyone's friends and family that had died protecting this city. I felt adrenaline course through my veins; I had never done public speaking. At the top of the hour, I tapped the mic, which got everyone to sit down and shut up. I smiled nervously. "Hi, I'm Alex Gordon, which most of you know." I looked back at Dad, who was sitting directly behind me. He nodded his encouragement. "We're here today to pay our respects to the most honorable men and women of Gotham. They gave their lives so that we could still be here to protect the city that they loved. I knew most of them personally, and I know that having died in the line of duty is something that they would've wanted. I know that it's no consolation, but I think that all of them are smiling down on Gotham right now because we have won this war, and we wouldn't have been able to without their help." I began to discard the written up speech. "As I said, I knew most of them personally, and I have to say that it was a complete honor to have known them. They were all dedicated to serving, and some of them kept me going when I thought that Gotham was a lost cause. Because of them, each one of us still living will have a reason each and every day to continue doing what we do." I glanced back at the speech I had written. "To all of those who are no longer with us, rest in peace and know that Gotham is a better place because you were here and gave your lives." I nodded at the honor guard, who took their place in front of the podium.

They fired off their guns, which did take me back to Loeb's funeral, but I knew that no one was going to get hurt here. After the 21 Gun Salute, they began to lower the coffins into the ground. All of the firemen were lowered in first, and the remaining firemen raised their arms in salute as the coffins disappeared from sight. The EMTs were next, but there really weren't that many of them. Nevertheless, the EMTs lowered their heads in a silent respect. The police officers were last. Why? I didn't know, but there were quite a few of us that had died. As I raised my arm to the brim of my cap in salute and the coffins were lowered into the ground, I realized that despite the Joker's attempts to completely break us, we had only grown closer together and stronger because of this. We would move on from the horrible chapter in our lives because we were _Gotham's Knights_.

**Well, that's the end. It makes me smile that I completed it, but I have to be honest: I have tears in my eyes right now. I really love the ending, and it makes me sad to know that this is the end of it. It was great fun to write, and I hope that it was great fun to read. I really loved all of your reviews, and I continue to love them. I don't know what else to say, which is sad because this story deserves so much more of a send off, but what am I gonna do? Anyway, review please. You know, that happy rectangular button that you should just clicky away at. =D**


	39. Credits

**Madelineex3—I love that you loved it. I'm sorry that the story is over, but there will be a sequel, which I'm starting to get enough information to start writing it. I'm glad that the storm passed over. Yeah, Colorado has got to be a huge change!! It's humid down there, and it's pathetically not here. The altitude has got to have gotten to them too. Wow.**

**Kris—I'm glad that you like it. I'm really proud of the ending too! Of course the sequel shall come.**

**Johanna—I have to admit, you always make me laugh. =D Woohoo! I can't believe that it was really that good. Thank you so much!!!! (exclamation points excite me ;)**

**Sabre-- *bows* Thank you. Thank you. You've pretty much followed this story since the beginning, and I'm glad that you're satisfied with the result. I will write a sequel, don't worry. I'm gonna miss hearing your reviews, and I think that that is one of my favorite compliments that I've gotten.**

**Fairy Skull—Yeah I know =( I'm glad that you liked it. Well, don't hold your breath; I like your reviews ;) **

**SurferGirl711—Well, they might get together. I'm not gonna say ;) But there will be a sequel.**

**Hannah—There will be a sequel. I can't just end the entire story like that! Are you crazy? I'm glad that you loved it, and I will always keep up writing, so keep on reading.**

**Undermyumbrella—I'm so glad that you loved it. There will definitely be a sequel.**

**Kmcracerx—Yeah, even I am sad to see it end. I'm glad that I ended it well, and well, you'll just have to read the sequel to find out what happens to them. It'll probably be more than one-shots, but I can't guarantee a third one, but maybe one-shots after the sequel.**

**Mandya1313—Thank you.**

**Okay, well, I lied. I decided to do one more chapter, but I have to make credits so that everyone knows what every character looks like. These are all actual people, FYI. =D Enjoy.**

Alex Gordon……………….....Evangeline Lilly

Jim Gordon……………….......Gary Oldman

Batman/Bruce Wayne…….Christian Bale

Martin Fitzgerald…………....Dylan Bruno

Harry………………………........Sean Bean

Wilson…………………….........Eddie Cahill

Johnson……………………......Danny Pino

Harvey Dent……………….....Aaron Eckhart

Alfred Pennyworth……......Michael Caine

Rachel Dawes……………..Maggie Gyllenhaal

Ramirez……………………Monique Gabriela Curnen

Stevens…………………….Keith Szarabajka

Barbara Gordon……………Melinda McGraw

Jimmy Gordon……………..Nathan Gamble

The Joker…………………..Heath Ledger

Mayor Garcia………………Nestor Carbonell

Lau………………………….Chin Han

Commissioner Loeb......……Colin McFarlane

Ra's Al Ghul………………..Liam Neeson

Jenny Gordon……………….Lauren Holly

**I know that there are a lot more characters, but there really wasn't anyone else that you should really know about. Tell me what you think. **

*******I need titles for the sequel!!!! Please give suggestions*********

**No clicky of the button needed, unless you have title suggestions, wanna give me your email so we can chat, or have any issues with the cast. =) Talk to you in the sequel.**


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